Antoine Griezmann: Man Utd's next talisman?

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 17 Dec 2022 20:45 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been linked with a shock bid for Atletico Madrid's France World Cup star Antoine Griezmann…

Kylian Mbappe has been stealing many of the headlines for France this winter, top scoring with five goals for the champions in Qatar as they have made it through to their second consecutive World Cup final.

But Griezmann has been pulling the strings for les Bleus, playing in a more withdrawn role than he has been accustomed to at club level. Against Morocco in the semi-final, he pressed 101 times - a record for a French player at the World Cup.

READ: World Cup performances show how Barcelona should've used Griezmann

Griezmann only made his loan back to Atletico from Barcelona permanent in October, but he might be the subject of another transfer as soon as January according to reports.

"The Red Devils are looking for important signings with the intention of climbing the table and fighting Champions League qualification, which is Erik ten Hag's main objective for the season," write Spanish outlet Fichajes.

'Perfect fit'

"Antoine Griezmann is one of Manchester United's main targets because his profile fits perfectly into Ten Hag's philosophy boosts competition in the final third, taking into account Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, which has freed up a space economically and in the squad."

READ: Cody Gakpo: PSV go public with asking price for Man Utd transfer target

Cody Gakpo is widely expected to be Ronaldo's most immediate replacement, the PSV Eindhoven winger with 13 goals and 17 assists this season after a summer transfer to Old Trafford fell through at the last minute.

But there could be some value in signing Griezmann. He has proven his positional versatility beyond doubt in Qatar, and his signing wouldn't be United's first of a player approaching the Autumn of his career.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was 34 when he joined in 2016, and went on to score 29 goals with 10 assists in 53 games in all competitions, lifting the Europa League in 2017 - his example perhaps more inspiring than Ronaldo's.

Atletico could also be tempted to cash in. The already have a surplus of players in Griezmann's usual position in Joao Felix and Matheus Cunha, and having run into financial difficulty could turn a tidy profit on a player rated at €36.4m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm.