Man Utd given huge boost in pursuit of £86m target as competition ruled out

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Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has handed Man Utd a major transfer boost by effectively ruling out Real Madrid as an option for him.

Speculation had been building in recent days that the Spanish giants were ready to raid their city rivals for the French international this summer.

However, Griezmann has cast doubt over that particular option, insisting that it’s highly unlikely that he would disrespect Atleti by making a move that few have agreed to previously.

“I do not rule out anything in the future, but I’m happy at Atletico and hopefully I can stay here,” he is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail.

“Interest from Madrid? I can’t say “yes” or “no”. You never know what can happen in football, but moving from Atletico to Real, I don’t know if it’s achievable.

“Very few players have done so. For this reason, I think it’s dead.”

As noted in the report, the 26-year-old is valued at around £86m as per a release clause in his contract, and it will take a significant offer from United to prise him away from the Spanish capital to swap it for Old Trafford.

With 80 goals in 150 games for his current employers, Griezmann has established himself as one of the top players in Europe since joining from Real Sociedad in 2014, and in turn it’s no surprise that the top clubs are all keen on bolstering their respective squads with the addition of the Frenchman.

Talk of a move to United has been ongoing for months, but if Madrid are essentially now out of the picture, then Jose Mourinho may well be feeling slightly more confident about the chances of adding another marquee signing to his squad this summer.

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