griez lightening

Antoine Griezmann to Manchester United – Five reasons the French star is heading to Old Trafford

Atletico Madrid forward is being line up for an £86million move to the Premier League to link up with Jose Mourinho

Duncan Wright

Published: 11:51, 4 Feb 2017
Updated: 13:00, 4 Feb 2017

MANCHESTER UNITED are growing increasingly confident they can secure the blockbuster signing of Antoine Griezmann this summer.

United are piecing together a bid of around £86million in an effort to clinch a deal for the Atletico Madrid playmaker who is one of the hottest properties in world football.

Antoine Griezmann is one of the biggest stars in world footballCredit: Reuters

It is all part of the grand plan of manager Jose Mourinho to turn his club into Premier League champions next season and make United a force in Europe again.

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SunSport looks at the transfer saga and brings you five reasons why Griezmann will be heading to Old Trafford this summer.

United are willing to outbid their rivals

Griezmann is such a prized player the major clubs across the world are all interested in signing him from Atletico.

But there are few who will be willing to go the extra mile to get the deal done at the kind of figures the deal is now reaching.

Real Madrid have shown an interest, but like Spanish rivals Barcelona they are not flushed with the kind of money it would take to sign the Frenchman and also strengthen elsewhere in their squad.

Griezmann is wanted by a host of top clubs but few can match the financial power of UnitedCredit: Getty Images

Paris Saint-Germain are keen, but they are reluctant to pay the huge asking price and then match his wage demands - leaving the wealth of the Premier League sides in the box seat.

Pep Guardiola has other priorities this summer, and though Chelsea have made their interest known they have a player similar to Griezmann in Eden Hazard so their money may be better spent elsewhere.

United have made it clear they have the money to make the deal happen, and their position makes them clear favourites to push t he transfer through.

The Pogba effect

United star Paul Pogba is close friends with Griezmann having spent so much time on international duty with the forward throughout their emerging careers.

Pogba is already working behind the scenes on selling the club to his pal, and the chance for the pair to link up at Old Trafford is understood to be attractive to Griezmann.

Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann are close friends who would relish the chance to play at the same clubCredit: Getty Images

Griezmann is ready to end his stay in Madrid

Atletico have provided the ideal platform for Griezmann to develop his game from being a player of huge promise to one of the best attacking players in Europe.

But they cannot match the financial clout or ambition of some of the major clubs, despite Diego Simeone leading them to two Champions League finals.

Griezmann was close to leaving last summer but agreed to stay on for another year, not least because Simeone decided he would give it another 12 months at the club.

Antoine Griezmann is growing frustrated with life at Atletico and is now ready to move onCredit: Getty Images

But the manager's future is now far from certain, and Griezmann has decided his own future now almost certainly lies elsewhere.

This is the summer he wants to make that move onto the next stage of his career, there is no better time for United to come calling.

Mourinho magic

There is a growing feeling around Europe that Jose Mourinho has now settled into life at Old Trafford and is building something big at the club - and players have started to take note.

Mourinho still has a major pulling power among the top stars who would all be happy to work with him, and Griezmann is no different.

He has heard plenty of good things about the Special One and is understood to be excited about the opportunity to work with him.

Jose Mourinho still has a huge pulling power as a manager who the top stars want to work withCredit: Reuters

The United effect

Success may have been in short supply in recent seasons, but United are still regarded as one of the great clubs in world football.

Having broken the world record to sign Pogba last summer, and with other players emerging, United are seen as being on the cusp of a dominant era once again and the chance to be a part of that is something Griezmann is excited about.

The Frenchman wants his next move to be to a club who can deliver success on a regular basis, and United have the potential to fit the bill.

And the fact they are playing in the Premier League is a further selling point to a player who wants to prove himself at the highest level.