Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly looking to steal Antoine Griezmann from under the noses of rivals Manchester United.
The Frenchman has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford for months, and it appeared as though he would be their priority this summer.
However, according to The Daily Mail, the Red Devils could now face serious competition from their city rivals who are also keen on the £75m-rated forward.
The 26-year-old has been in fine form for Atletico Madrid again this season, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, and will be pivotal in their hopes of ending their campaign with silverware.
Nevertheless, speculation continues to build over his future and it’s claimed that Guardiola believes Griezmann would be a better fit in his team instead of Sergio Aguero to lead the attack alongside Gabriel Jesus.
The Spanish tactician is likely to oversee a real shake up at City this summer, as he will be given significant funds to further stamp his mark on the squad and bring in players capable of carrying out his ideas and style of play perfectly.
While United showed their spending power last summer with the acquisition of Paul Pogba, they are seemingly ready to splash out again and City will have to match them in that regard and hope that they are a more appealing option.
Griezmann is contracted to Atleti until 2021 and has regularly insisted that he’s happy in the Spanish capital with his future said to hinge on Diego Simeone, who is also set to remain.
In turn, it remains to be seen firstly whether or not the former Real Sociedad star does indeed move on ahead of next season, and then it becomes a case of which side of Manchester is the best fit, while the report also notes that Chelsea are monitoring his situation too.