Man Utd accelerate stunning raid for one of the world’s best; prepared to triple his salary and pay release clause
Manchester United have held talks with the camp of Antoine Griezmann and are prepared to triple his salary and activate his release clause at Atletico Madrid, per a report.
Major change is afoot at Old Trafford with Sir Jim Ratcliffe primed to purchase a 25 percent stake in the club. The British billionaire will assume full control of all sporting matters at United. The effects of his imminent partial takeover have already been felt behind the scenes.
CEO Richard Arnold has been given his marching orders. Elsewhere, Director of Football, John Murtough, is understood to be in the firing line.
The Sun claimed the changes will most certainly extend to the playing personnel too, with a squad ‘reset’ likely.
Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial are among those who’ll be turfed out at the first opportunity in January. Reinforcements for United’s already ailing frontline will be required.
Now, according to a remarkable report out of Spain (as cited by Sports Mole), Man Utd are moving for Antoine Griezmann.
The France ace, 32, is back to his best at Atleti after a couple of years in the wilderness at Barcelona.
Griezmann is manager Diego Simeone’s star forward and his willingness to play for the team and dig in defensively was never more evident than during the Qatar World Cup.
Griezmann was surprisingly deployed in midfield by Didier Deschamps and earned rave reviews for his dogged displays.
But it’s his attacking talents that will concern Man Utd more, with the report claiming Erik ten Hag is seeking a more reliable option to Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojliund. The United pair have scored just one league goal between them this season.
It’s claimed Man Utd are fast emerging as the likeliest contender to snap up Griezmann who can be signed on the cheap through a release clause.
€25m enough to sign Griezmann; £355,000-a-week on offer?
Griezmann’s current contract – that expires in 2025 – reportedly contains a release clause worth a modest €25m (approx. £22m). French outlet L’Equipe previously confirmed the presence of the release clause back in June.
Man Utd are understood to have sent officials to Spain who have already held talks with Griezmann’s camp.
It’s acknowledged the Frenchman is happy and settled at Atleti, so United have to go above and beyond to secure the move.
To that end, it’s claimed they’re willing to triple Griezmann’s salary from €7m per year to €21m per year. An annual salary of €21m roughly equates to £355,000 a week.
Whether the late career payday will be enough to convince Griezmann to change clubs remains to be seen.
It’s also not made clear whether United would activate the clause in January or wait until the summer. But if Sancho and Martial both leave in the winter window, a mid-season swoop for Griezmann would make sense.
United have a chequered history of signing ageing superstars who don’t go on to provide value for money.
But given the presence of the modest release clause, a move for Griezmann could be more palatable – even if he’s paid close to £355,000-a-week.
