Chelsea’s pursuit of Antoine Griezmann gets double boost

Chelsea may have an opening in their pursuit of Antoine Griezmann. Two developments this morning indicate that he may be preparing to leave Atletico Madrid earlier than planned.

Antoine Griezmann was a bit of a fantasy during Chelsea’s pre-deadline day summer transfer window lethargy. While Chelsea’s centre-back woes rightly garnered most attention, Chelsea’s needs up front combined with Diego Costa’s whinging about a return to Atletico Madrid kept people talking about Atleti’s French forward.

Shortly after the transfer window closed Griezmann said he would only leave Atletico if manager Diego Simeone departed as well. Griezmann renewed with Atletico in June after personally confirming that Simeone was staying at the club.

The Daily Mail reports this morning that Simeone shortened his contract by two years, intending to leave Madrid in 2018. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann has reportedly parted ways with his agent and will be representing himself in all negotiations.

"I will now operate without an agent, but with my guidance, namely my father as well as my mentor Eric Olhats. – L’Equipe (original in French)"

While these two developments are most likely unrelated, they both indicate that Griezmann’s future at Atletico Madrid is less stable than it was a few months ago.

Griezmann has flourished under Simeone. Atletico signed the Frenchmen for a strong but far less than world-class £24 million in 2014. Since then Griezmann has become one of Europe’s top strikers and was the face of Euro 2016, where he reached the finals on his home soil. His loyalty to the Argentinian skipper and the club that made him a star is understandable.

Simeone’s departure may signal to Griezmann that it is time for him to expand his career beyond La Liga. Chelsea and Manchester United are both top contenders for Griezmann, in part because they are two of the only clubs able and willing to pay his release clause. Freeing Griezmann from his five-year deal at Atletico will likely cost at least £80 million.

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Antoine Griezmann’s decision to represent himself may indicate that he does not want superfluous financial concerns to complicate or derail his next move. Paul Pogba’s transfer to Manchester United was delayed several weeks as the club and his agent sparred over Mino Raiola’s fee.

Keeping matters within his family may reduce some of Griezmann’s negotiating power. But it ensures Griezmann’s football career and ambitions stay in the forefront of all considerations. Those ambitions – and a club’s ability to meet them – will take on even greater importance if Atletico Madrid fail to win any trophies this year. For all of his progress and individual success, Griezmann does not yet have a league or cup winners’ medal.

Griezmann’s attachment to Diego Simeone and his reliance on family for advice are both auspicious signs for Chelsea. Jose Mourinho demands strict loyalty from his players. Jealous lover that he is, he may not want to bring in a player who has such a deep connection to another manager. One can imagine Mourinho fretting: “Is Griezmann thinking about Simeone when he is on my training ground?”

Jose Mourinho’s reputation and sales pitch already clinched one transfer for Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. N’Golo Kante revealed that he set his mind on Chelsea after speaking with Mourinho about a move to Manchester United.

RELATED STORY: N’GOLO KANTE DISRUPTED MOURINHO’S PLANS, SIGNED WITH CHELSEA

Antonio Conte and Chelsea may be more attractive to the Griezmann family as a continuation of the stable, supportive structure that Simeone provided at Atletico Madrid. A player will see the cohesion of a Conte squad contrasted to the drama of a Mourinho side. An agent may only see Chelsea’s reluctance to spend compared to Manchester United’s splurge on Paul Pogba.

Antoine Griezmann is unlikely to leave Atletico Madrid before Diego Simeone. Griezmann is still a long-term transfer prospect for Chelsea, and unfortunately, Chelsea’s transfer non-strategy suffers at planning that far ahead.

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Antonio Conte demonstrated his ability to shape a team over several years Juventus. Hopefully Michael Emenalo and Roman Abramovich will give him the time and resources to do so at Chelsea. The prospect of Antoine Griezmann – Tammy Abraham – Michy Batshuayi leading the line at Stamford Bridge in 2018/19 is almost too much too handle.