Manchester United have reportedly given Jose Mourinho the green light to break the club’s transfer record again next summer by signing Antoine Griezmann.
Reports circulated during the week that the Red Devils were lining up a move for the French international, with a view of making him the long-term replacement for Wayne Rooney.
The Sun have doubled down on that claim, insisting that Mourinho is already putting together a move for the Atletico Madrid star, as he is confident that his current group will ensure that they can offer Champions League football to prospective signings in the summer.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the top players in Europe, having now scored 84 goals and provided 25 assists in 217 La Liga appearances.
In turn, it would make sense for United to want to make him the focal point of their attack moving forward, as the star quality in the side continues to grow.
Having splashed out £89m on Paul Pogba this summer, as noted by The Sun, the transfer strategy is becoming fairly clear at Old Trafford as Mourinho looks to put together a dominant team to rule Europe in the coming years.
Having added important pieces to the squad, the club will likely now target one major signing each summer to compliment what they already have.
Given that Griezmann is tied to Atletico until 2021, it will take a special bid to prise him away from Diego Simeone’s squad, and that in turn should see United spend over the amount that they parted with for Pogba.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rooney will be key this year with their experience, but a long-term plan will be needed with the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford undoubtedly set to grow into even bigger roles in the future.