Primera Liga in focus: Antoine Griezmann ready-made for Manchester United if Atletico cash in

In this week's Primera Liga column, Andy Mitten focuses on Antoine Griezmann and looks at what the future might hold for the Atletico Madrid striker.

Antoine Griezmann is the subject of intense transfer speculation, much of it linking him with Premier League club Manchester United. Javier Zorrilla / EPA

Patrice Evra looked his France teammate Antoine Griezmann in the eye. The young forward was still finding his way in France’s national team, just as he was at Atletico Madrid after a move from Real Sociedad in 2014.

“You know, you’re a really talented player, but you’re not a killer,” Evra said. “He looked at me and said, ‘What do you mean?’”

Evra continued.

“You have a nice touch, you have the twist, you have a lot of opportunities to score goals, you always play beautiful ... but you are going to go nowhere.

“He was like, ‘Yeah, I know what you’re saying’.

“I said: ‘Antoine, you have so much talent but you need to have a killer instinct’. He’s got that now.”

Griezmann is not only brilliant, he is versatile and can play on either wing, as a first or secondary striker. He has risen to the sub-Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo tier of players, the level Zlatan Ibrahimovic found himself at along with Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero and Neymar. That rise brings much speculation about his future.

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Read more

■ Andy Mitten: Love him or not Wayne Rooney is a Man United hero

■ Real Madrid: Zidane defends Ronaldo against boo-boys

■ Primera Liga in focus: Sevilla thriving under Jorge Sampaoli

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Griezmann to Manchester United is becoming the 2017 story which keeps the football transfer addicts pining for more. Transfer speculation is a popular football subculture which drives massive online traffic. Some fans are far more interested in who their team might buy or sell than their results. Every morsel of information is chewed over voraciously, every social media post from anyone connected with the players is scrutinised for cryptic messages.

United like Griezmann. Who wouldn’t? The club’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, sought out opinions about him a year ago and was told that the Frenchman was the next best thing to Messi and Ronaldo, both of whom are perceived as on a level otherwise unobtainable in world football.

At 25, Griezmann is younger and his star continues to ascend. He helped Atletico reach a second Uefa Champions League final in three years last summer.

Though his €25 million (Dh98.66m) move from Real Sociedad to Atletico in 2014 was initially difficult, and he was not happy. Since then he has thrived under Diego Simeone’s effective regime.

Atletico are far stronger financially than when they let Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa or David de Gea leave in the past, but they still cannot compete with the big-spending English clubs, even though they are more successful on the pitch.

Griezmann has a buyout clause of €100m and a contract with the club until 2021. Atletico do not want to sell him, just as they previously did not want to sell any of their best players, but the move to their new stadium, scheduled for September, is squeezing finances.

For United, Griezmann’s appeal works on many levels. He is at the perfect age and his attacking instinct fits in with the truest traditions of the idealised United player. He is as close to Paul Pogba as he is to Evra. He is versatile. United have no shortage of players wanting to play as a second striker behind Ibrahimovic, but there is not a second standout goalscorer.

United are overstocked with attacking talent; Ibrahimovic is 35, Wayne Rooney 31 and the supremely gifted Anthony Martial is having a second season wobble. Perhaps another compatriot will help him feel more at home.

“I prefer him as a half nine,” Evra said of the position he would like to see Griezmann play.

“Just behind the nine. You have to give him the freedom. He has a very good first touch. He can either go with the ball or give it straight to the winger. His first touch has so much quality, it’s like Messi. He is also like Messi because he has small steps and you don’t know which way he’s going to go.”

If Griezmann wants more money or the club want to cash in on their most valuable asset – and United have the money to be breaking transfer records every year – then he will move to England.

If he wants to find more immediate success in Europe then he would be better of staying at Atletico.

Real Madrid face test of mettle

Real Madrid had one of their greatest years in 2016. European and world champions, they remained unbeaten for most of the year. They were similarly outstanding in 2014, when they also won the aforementioned trophies and the European Super Cup to boot.

Within weeks of their Club World Cup triumph in December 2014, things started to unravel and their manager Carlo Ancelotti was dismissed. Within weeks of their 2016 global success, their unbeaten run came to an end after a Spanish-record 40 games, against Sevilla, and they then lost a second game against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey. The second leg is on Wednesday in Galicia.

Losing away to an exceptional Sevilla side was understandable; losing against Celta in the Bernabeu was a major surprise. Madrid, Spain’s winter champions – a title given to the team at the halfway point in the Primera Liga – have a one-point lead and a game in hand.

They are desperate for history not to repeat itself, to fall away as they did in 2015, but they have had little luck with injuries; 19 of their 24-man first-team squad have missed games so far this season, many of them with muscular problems.

The latest to be sidelined are Marcelo and the ever-influential Luka Modric, the pair both injured during the 2-1 win against Malaga at the weekend. Zinedine Zidane’s side are already without Gareth Bale, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, James Rodriguez and Dani Carvajal.

Bale has been out since November and is expected back in a month having missed a significant part of the season. Even a squad as well supplied as Madrid’s struggles to deal with those absences, even a player as talented as Cristiano Ronaldo struggles to score when so many of his teammates are absent.

For now, Madrid are without both their starting full-backs and will have to get through a tough month while seriously depleted. Wednesday’s game is followed by a match against Real Sociedad. There could be a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg next week, then a league game Celta, who defeated them in Madrid, before a match at Osasuna is followed by home games against Napoli and Espanyol and away matches at Valencia and Villarreal. It is a tough run without some of their best players.

“I am a bit upset with the injuries,” Zidane said. “My mind is a bit blown. We have a big game Wednesday and injuries are screwing it up. A lot of the season is still left and like I always say, we will be needing every player.”

The game at Celta is a formidable test, and one they have to win.

Game of the week

Las Palmas against a resurgent Valencia intrigues, while Osasuna have another test at home to Malaga. It is the type of game they must win to have any chance of avoiding relegation. Injury-hit Real Madrid are at home to Real Sociedad, while Barcelona play at Real Betis. Atletico Madrid are at Alaves.

Player of the week

Iago Aspas was the local hero who Celta Vigo fans were upset to lose to Liverpool in 2013. He failed to excel on Merseyside, scoring only once in 12 games. The home bird is back at Celta where he continues to thrive, with 13 goals in his last 13 games, including one in the win at Real Madrid. He will be hoping for a repeat in the second leg.

What else?

■ Abelardo Fernandez stepped down as manager of Sporting Gijon last week after his side had lost seven of their previous eight games to be marooned in the relegation zone. The Gijon boy, a close friend of fellow Asturian Luis Enrique, played for Sporting and Barcelona and had been a success since taking over at Sporting in 2014. He not only led them back to the top flight on the day Enrique was celebrating winning the 2015 Uefa Champions League, but also kept them up last season. This term has not gone to plan, but Abelardo, 46, refused to accept the reported €4 million compensation package offered by Sporting.

“I don’t have a problem writing off the money,” Abelardo said. “There are more important things — loyalty to my club above all.”

How refreshing.

■ Osasuna lost 4-3 at home to Sevilla, but they already look a more attack-minded team under their new manager, the Serbian Petar Vasiljevic, and it says much that Sevilla’s best player was their goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Still, they have only managed nine points so far and are nine points from safety. Even Sporting Gijon, in 18th, are five points from safety. There are gaps at the bottom and the top of the table where Barcelona in third are now six points clear of Atletico Madrid in fourth.

■ In the second division, Levante and Girona continue to pull away from the rest. The top two go up automatically at the end of the season and Levante are 13 points clear of Cadiz in third. Girona are six clear of them and looking good for a first promotion to the top flight.

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