Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has pledged his loyalty to his current club amid renewed transfer speculation linking him with Manchester United in January.
Griezmann, now 32, has been getting back to his best form since rejoining Atletico on a permanent basis from Barcelona in the summer of 2022. He finished last with 35 combined goals and assists in all competitions and played a major role as France reached the 2022 World Cup final. So far in 2023/24, he already has 13 in 16 games as Atletico quietly threaten in La Liga and the Champions League.
Griezmann’s release clause in his Atletico contract, which runs until 2025 with an option to 2026, has been reported since the summer to be just €25m (£22m).
A report from Spain this past week alleged the player had turned down approaches from the United States and Saudi Arabia but would be more willing to move to England to sign with United. It has long been established that Griezmann idolised David Beckham as a child and is both the reason for his number seven shirt and preference for long sleeved shirts.
United, linked with Griezmman dating back to 2016, lack depth up front beyond the raw Rasmus Hojlund and the inconsistent Anthony Martial. But the Atletico star himself doesn’t appear to be looking any further than his personal aim of becoming a “legend” in Madrid in the coming months.
“I am motivated to be someone important at Atletico, to be a legend in this club,” he told Marca.
“I know I have to earn it. Now I have many goals for this year, but yes, I want [to win] La Liga and I need it. I’ve never done it and it would be nice. But it is very long and you have to work and see if you are lucky enough to win it.”
Griezmann’s association with Atletico stretches back to 2014 when the club paid close to €30m to sign him from Real Sociedad. Along with Mario Mandzukic and Raul Jimenez, he arrived in the same summer that both Diego Costa and David Villa left the title-winning squad.
He firmly established himself as one of the best players in the world during that first spell in the Spanish capital, but heavy transfer speculation in 2018 led to the ill-advised television documentary ‘The Decision’ about whether he would stay or go. His choice was the latter, but a year later Griezmann was the subject of a majorly contested transfer to Barcelona when the Catalans triggered a €120m release clause that Atletico claimed should actually have been €200m.
It soured Griezmann’s relationship with Atletico – his shirt number was given to new signing Joao Felix before his departure was official – and he was at Barcelona when his former club claimed La Liga again in 2020/21. His stint at Barca also coincided with and in many ways encapsulated the club’s financial mismanagement during that time and by August 2021 was being loaned back to Atletico.
With 36 goals in 100 games since his return, Griezmann now has 169 in total for the club and is only four shy of tying the all-time record (173) held by the late Luis Aragones.
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