Guillem Balague believes that Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann would join Man Utd this summer, but only if they qualify for the Champions League.
Speaking on French TV on Monday, the 26-year-old rated his chances of moving to Old Trafford at 6/10 this summer, sparking further wild speculation about his future.
Having scored 26 goals and provided 12 assists this past season, but also falling short of winning silverware, rumours of an exit refuse to go away when it comes to the French international.
Balague can see a move to United happening this summer, he insists that it will all depend on whether or not the Red Devils qualify for Europe’s premier competition, as noted by Sky Sports.
Having missed out on the top four in the Premier League, Jose Mourinho has put all his eggs in one basket as he must win the Europa League final against Ajax in Stockholm on Wednesday night to qualify for the Champions League.
If they do, Balague doesn’t envisage any issues with Griezmann’s £87m release clause, and expects the deal to go through.
“I’ve got the impression if United are in the Champions League, he will join them. Manchester United are willing to pay the 100m euros (£87m) for his buyout clause.
“When he was asked out of 10 what the chances of going to Manchester United are, he said six.
“That number is not higher than six because he is waiting to see whether Manchester United make the Champions League.”
Balague also believes that it was a smart play from the former Real Sociedad man, as it will cause Atletico Madrid to panic slightly as they continue to try to come up with a contract extension to convince him to stay.
Whether he does or not remains to be seen, but it’s clear with the investment that they have planned, United will offer him a better chance of winning silverware in the short term as Atleti don’t have the pockets deep enough to compete at the highest level on a consistent basis.