Manchester United and Chelsea face paying more than £79m to lure Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann to Premier League
- Manchester United and Chelsea are keeping close tabs on the Frenchman
- Atletico Madrid plan to increase initial asking price from £63m to £79m
- Antoine Griezmann led Atletico to Champions League final with away goal
Antoine Griezmann’s future is uncertain amid Premier League interest and unresolved contract negotiations.
The Atletico Madrid forward, whose winner knocked Bayern Munich out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, is a target for both Chelsea and Manchester United.
Atletico had hoped to tie Griezmann down to a new contract beyond 2020 and held discussions about the extension earlier this season.
Manchester United and Chelsea target Antoine Griezmann celebrates after scoring against Bayern Munich
The France international is lifted in the air by Atletico Madrid team-mate Gabi following his goal in Germany
The 25-year-old wheels away in celebration after finding a way past Bayern and Germany No 1 Manuel Neuer
But those talks, held primarily to increase the Frenchman’s release clause, have not yet been concluded.
Atletico want to ramp Griezmann’s potential fee up from £63million to £79m, and know they do not have to sell if the asking fee is not met.
His crucial goal at the Allianz Arena - a 32nd of the campaign - added millions onto an already hefty price tag. Such is the player’s growing stature Atletico would expect to pocket more than £79m without any clause.
The 25-year-old has been warned by friends not to jump into a Premier League move, with fears over a lack of strength to deal with English football’s physicality.
Yet Griezmann’s burgeoning reputation means United and Chelsea are unlikely to be dissuaded in their pursuit this summer.
Only in his second season at the Vicente Calderon, Griezmann already has decisions to make on his next move.
Any concrete plan is likely to take shape at the European Championship in France next month.
Griezmann will form part of Didier Deschamps’ home squad who are one of the favourites to lift the title.
He is a known admirer of Atletico coach Diego Simeone and would be loathed to leave the Argentine, who is set to stay on for the foreseeable future.
That adds another spanner in the works for United and Chelsea, who have both spent weeks watching Griezmann’s continued rise throughout this season.
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone could convince his star forward into staying at the club
Griezmann (centre) is hoping to lead France to Euro 2016 success in his native homeland this summer
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