UEFA Champions League Final: Antoine Griezmann's swansong for Atletico Madrid?

Antoine Griezmann has had a season that many would say has seen him grow into the one of the best players in the world today. The driving force behind Atletico Madrid, Griezmann has scored 33 goals for the Madrid-based side in all competitions in a season that has seen him push on since his arrival in 2014 from Real Sociedad for roughly £24 million pounds.

The problem for Atletico Madrid however, is that the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final may well be the Frenchman’s last game for Los Rojiblancos as he courts interest from across Europe. His range of goals saw Atletico Madrid reach the UCL final, albeit not only for his own efforts but also some stellar performances from the team as a whole. However, it was his goal that struck the death blow for Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich amongst a range of other Griezmann goal at crucial points in the competition.

What Antoine Griezmann has done this year is, he has attracted the attention of some of the elite and more cash-rich clubs in football. There have been suggestions from the player’s agent that the player will be ready to court interest in the off-season after the Euros which will see the France hitman spearhead the French attack.

While Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo has come out after these claims were made by Griezmann’s agent and made it clear that they do not wish to sell the forward, there is a release clause in the Frenchman’s contract which could render Atletico helpless should Griezmann wish to move.

This clause is suggested to be valued at £60 million. Though Enrique suggests that the well-guarded clause in Griezmann’s contract is ‘unpayable’, if the estimated values are accurate, then these suitors may well have enough in their bank to cough up the cash.

Potential Suitors

There are quite a few teams that will want to add a world class striker to the ranks. These teams include the likes of Manchester United, Paris St. Germain, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City amongst others.

The chances are that Manchester United and Paris St. Germain will enter the fray early, looking to seal a transfer for Griezmann. With Manchester United lauding the arrival of a new manager in the ambitious Jose Mourinho, money would be no object for the red side of Manchester.

The same can be said of Paris St. Germain who, regardless of who their manager is, will look to replace the inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Amongst those who will interest them is the Atletico forward and PSG are not known to be un-ambitious with their transfer bids.

Chelsea may also look to try their luck at capturing the forward as Antonio Conte’s revolution at the London Club may well see Diego Costa either moved on or forced to compete for his starting spot with a new striker. The Atleti forward has been linked strongly to the London club over the years and may finally get their wish if they activate his release clause.

While Arsenal and Manchester City have not been reliably linked with the striker as of now, both teams are on the lookout for strikers. Arsenal are known to admire Griezmann but may well baulk at his price while Manchester City will probably wait for Pep Guardiola to analyze the situation at City before they look to get a deal done. During that time, they will hope their target is not snapped up by any of the other suitors looking to strike swiftly.

Why would Antoine Griezmann move and when?

It does indeed beg to be asked that why a player who is playing in the UEFA Champions League final (and may even be winning this final) wants to switch teams at this stage. The idea behind that is simple, he will stand to make more money elsewhere whilst still gunning for glory.

Antoine Griezmann is well remunerated but there are clubs that can as much as double his wages if he were to join them. Many Champions League clubs of elite standing may look at him, with at least Paris St. Germain and Manchester City definitely ticking every box. Meanwhile clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and perhaps even Arsenal could prove to be attractive destinations on most counts.

However, the driving force behind any decision will be the cash on offer and the opportunity to remain at the highest level. Atletico may or may not want to tie him down to a contract but if they must, there will be a huge price in terms of wages that they may have to pay.

The likeliest time for a move would be after the Euro 2016 plays itself out. Considering how most teams will have to wait for elite players to finish the tournament before pursuing their signatures, should Antoine decide to do the same, there should be no immediate concerns over that scuppering his chances.

Whether he leaves or not, Atletico Madrid are in for a long summer saga over his transfer from the look of things and if things go a certain way, as they are poised to at the moment, Atletico Madrid may well be seeing the last of Antoine Griezmann in the UEFA Champions League final, later tonight.