Antoine Griezmann to Manchester United; it’s been touted as the deal that will define next summer’s transfer window, with Atletico Madrid’s talismanic Frenchman making the switch from La Liga to the Premier League once this current season is all over. The money being thrown around could well be on the same scale as the £89m that United sent Juventus’ way to reacquire the services of Paul Pogba, with the Spanish club surely keen to receive a gigantic fee in order to allow Griezmann to leave Los Colchoneros.
One of the reasons that a deal for the player has seemed so plausible has been Griezmann’s desire to seemingly talk it up during interviews, so it’s a surprise to see the former Real Sociedad man take the opposite approach in a recent interview with Spanish paper AS, in quotes carried by The Telegraph:
“I don’t like these questions about my future. Players like Cristiano [Ronaldo], [Lionel] Messi or [Gareth] Bale are not always asked what is going to happen next year, where they will be, or who they will play for. So I don’t like that I get asked it.”
“I am happy and enjoying myself at Atletico, I am proud to play for these fans, with these teammates, with this coach. Don’t ask me any more about my future.”
Of course, Griezmann should be proud to play for Atletico, but his indignation at being asked about his future feels a bit unwarranted when you consider that he’s been the one helping to stir the pot. He will have known all about the connotations of openly suggesting that he has a desire to play alongside countryman Pogba, so perhaps these latest words are an attempt to diffuse the speculation as Atletico return to domestic duties after the summer break. One thing’s for sure, however; Griezmann will find it very hard to avoid speculation over a possible switch to Old Trafford over the next few months.
