Pundit ‘surprised’ by Man Utd bid for France World Cup star, as two major Old Trafford concerns detailed
Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani in France training
The fact Manchester United have reportedly submitted a proposal for a France forward has ‘surprised’ an observer given two big concerns about the prospective move.
France were hoping to keep hold of the World Cup trophy after emerging victorious in Russia four years ago. They went into the Qatar tournament as one of the favourites, along with the likes of Argentina and Brazil.
France picked up two wins and a defeat in the group stage, scoring six goals in the process, to finish top of Group D. They beat Poland 3-1 in the round of 16 thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe (two).
That set up a titanic clash with England in the quarter-finals. Aurelien Tchouameni fired Didier Deschamps’ side in front inside 17 minutes, only for Harry Kane to equalise from the penalty spot in the second half.
Giroud won it for France with a commanding header with 12 minutes left. And Les Blues then came up against Morocco in the semis.
Morocco had already become the first African team to make the last four of the World Cup. But France ended their hopes of reaching the final, with goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani deciding the match.
Ultimately, it was two of the tournament favourites who met in the final as France played Argentina. Following a pulsating 3-3 draw after extra time, it went to penalties. And Emi Martinez helped Argentina triumph, gifting Lionel Messi the one trophy he had been craving.
Several France players impressed at the World Cup, with Mbappe finishing as the tournament’s top scorer and Kolo Muani proving to be a livewire from the bench. Antoine Griezmann also earned praise for excelling in a deeper midfield role than usual.
Man Utd submit proposal for La Liga ace
And a Premier League move could be beckoning for the Atletico Madrid star. Manchester United have been on his trail for several months now.
Their pursuit of Griezmann has recently stepped up, given their need for a new striker. Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in November following his bombshell interview.
According to recent reports coming from Spain, Man Utd have launched a €60million (£52.3m) bid for the attacker.
Former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton is ‘surprised’ by the rumours, though. He doesn’t think Griezmann will want to join Man Utd, especially after getting comfortable at Atleti again.
Another problem with moving to Man Utd would be where he gets played. He is generally viewed as a second striker but enjoyed playing in that midfield role for France.
Antoine Griezmann to Man Utd would ‘surprise’ pundit
“I think I would be surprised especially after everything that happened at Barcelona,” Hutton told Football Insider when asked about Griezmann joining Erik ten Hag’s side.
“He left and when he came back to Atletico, it seems like that is his home. He could not play because they owed payments and everything that went on.
“So to go through that whole situation and get back somewhere that you feel comfortable, a manager that knows you, to then go to a team that are in a rebuild, it is very difficult to settle in.
“Is he going to play every week? What type of player is he being viewed as? A midfielder or a forward thinking player. I would never say never but I would be surprised.“
Hutton’s worries about Griezmann to Man Utd make sense. He recently had a troublesome spell at Barca, so taking a risk and joining a project club like Man Utd could backfire. And this would really jeopardise his career at the top level.
Griezmann knows Atleti boss Diego Simeone very well. So he can trust the Argentine to get the best out of him, whichever position he ends up playing for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Tuesday’s Euro Paper Talk claims a PSG star is ‘determined’ to leave amid rumours of a Man Utd swoop for him.
