Manchester United face a battle to convince Antoine Griezmann to move to Old Trafford if they decide to reignite their interest this summer, sources close to the player have said.
United were interested in the France international last summer before switching their focus to signing a centre forward — ultimately agreeing a £75 million deal with Everton for Romelu Lukaku.
Griezmann, meanwhile, opted to stay at Atletico and sign a new contract while the Spanish club served a transfer ban and moved into a new stadium.
The 26-year-old is expected to leave at the end of the season, with United among his potential suitors.
He is unlikely to leave during the January transfer window, despite Atletico’s early exit from the Champions League. Griezmann’s buy-out clause of €100m makes the forward an attractive prospect in a market where Neymar cost Paris Saint-Germain €222m and Coutinho is priced at €160m.
However, sources have said that while Griezmann is open to a move to Old Trafford he would ideally like to stay in Spain and that he, along with his wife, Erika Choperena, have reservations about swapping Madrid for Manchester.
Sources have also said that Barcelona are still monitoring the former Real Sociedad man, despite making Coutinho the second most expensive player ever this week.
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