When it comes to transfers, it’s an exciting time to be a Manchester United fan.
After all, just last summer and United snapped up Zlatan Ibrahimovic before making Paul Pogba the most expensive football player in history. Furthermore, Antoine Griezmann is being heavily rumoured as the next big name to move to Old Trafford.
With every report, the excitement and hope harbored by United fans has steadily increased. Unfortunately though, it’s becoming apparent that the issue of Jose Mourinho could see any attempted move crash and burn.
For all of the Red Devils’ expenditure and the bulky squad at their disposal, United still remain excluded when it comes to the title race. Mourinho’s men currently sit in sixth position and a mammoth 14-points behind Chelsea.
Therefore, it’s clear that a few pieces of the puzzle are still missing if United are to become serious contenders for the league title again. In the opinion of many, Griezmann proves the solution.
Besides, the Frenchman is on the brink of becoming one of the best players in the world. 2016 simply proved a case of so close yet so far with defeats coming in both the Champions League and European Championship finals.
Nevertheless, Griezmann was rubbing shoulders with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the latest Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Throw in the fact that he has 22 goals and eight assists already this season and you pretty much get the picture. United would – simply put – be investing in the best up and coming star in European football.
This week even saw the Daily Telegraph report that a deal had been agreed in principal. It may set them back an eye watering €100 million, but there’s no reason to suggest it wouldn’t be worth the gamble.
The signs are certainly promising and United fans can start dreaming of the 25-year-old donning the famous red jersey in less than a year. Or can they?
It seems that Mourinho could be the man standing in the way of the deal. According to Marca, the Special One isn’t too keen on any capture of Griezmann and could exercise his power to put the brakes on a raid.
The Portuguese is unconvinced that Griezmann would cope with the physicality of the Premier League or whether he would settle in at Old Trafford.
He is also skeptical over the price of the forward with another world record signing threatening to rinse United’s transfer allowance. It is questionable as to whether Mourinho would condone spending everything on just one player.
Furthermore, the Red Devils are drowning in forwards and Griezmann would simply exasperate selection issues. After all, it certainly wouldn’t bode well for young talents such as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.
Nevertheless, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Ed Woodward has practically taken over transfer duties since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and could easily overrule Mourinho and his skepticism.
If the reports are to believed too, he may just have done that already. So whether the Special One likes it or not, another expensive forward could be joining his squad in the summer.
Mourinho may have his reasons, but come on, it’s Griezmann. Whether you’re a United fan or not, you can’t deny the exciting prospect of having the Frenchman in the Premier League. Period.