Arsenal: Antoine Griezmann Could Move In Package Deal
Arsenal has undoubtedly been after Antoine Griezmann for quite some time, but a move seems unlikely unless his package mate comes with him.
Arsene Wenger has been after Antoine Griezmann since his big breakout year at Real Sociedad in 2013/14. Given that he is a small, technical player that also happens to be French means that Wenger was always going to be in on him. Given that he is probably the best foil to Olivier Giroud out there means that there isn’t a soul in North London that wouldn’t want him at Arsenal. At least their shouldn’t be.
Griezmann has said that he would love to make it to England eventually, but he would have to be out of contract at Atletico Madrid first. Not exactly promising for Arsenal’s prospects considering that he is locked in until 2021, at which point he will be pushing 30. Of course… if Zlatan can do it, so can Griezmann.
But there has to be some hope in another potential route that can bring Antoine Griezmann to Arsenal and there might just be a way, as far-fetched as it might be.
Griezmann recently came out and admitted that he would only leave Atletico Madrid if Diego Simeone left first. The Atletico legend has made himself quite the successful manager in his short tenure there and given his dedication to promoting from within and putting faith in what he has, that success should be prolonged.
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It is also the same kind of approach that Arsene Wenger has taken at Arsenal, so there have always been those rumors linking Diego Simeone to coming to the Emirates in the future. His tactics are similar to Wenger’s in the way he controls the game, but the ferocity that he applies to the game would be a welcome change of pace when/if Wenger decides to move on.
Names like Thomas Tuchel are also in the rumor mill to take over for Wenger when that time comes, but a Simeone arrival would almost certainly mean the arrival of Antoine Griezmann as well. He will undoubtedly go wherever Simeone goes and given that the now-prestigious manager is sought after by just about every team out there, the Premier League should beckon in time. Unless Simeone loves Atletico too much to ever leave, in which case Griezmann never will either.
Whatever the case, this is just another chapter in the Griezmann transfer rumor saga. There isn’t much hope that we can draw from it, at least not for a move any time soon, but there is certainly hope for a future move.