Erik ten Hag told he ‘needs’ Antoine Griezmann as talk of replacing Mount begins – Footymercato.com

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag needs a player like Antoine Griezmann to replace Mason Mount in the near future, according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha. United are thought to be keen on bringing Griezmann to Old Trafford in January, with the Frenchman back to his best at Atletico Madrid after spending a couple of years in the wilderness at Barcelona.

Reports have suggested that United could be looking to sign Griezmann in light of Mount’s poor start to the campaign, with the former Chelsea man having struggled to hit the ground running at his new club. Saha, who scored 28 goals for United between 2004 and 2008, believes that Ten Hag would reap the benefits of having a player like Griezmann in his squad but does not expect a deal to be done in January.

“Antoine Griezmann is a talented player and unlike many players, there’s never any doubts about him,” Saha told Paddy Power. “He’s very mobile and physically he’ll always find the right area. Manchester United’s interest in him shows straight away that there is something wrong.

“They already have Mason Mount, but it means they’re looking at a replacement for him because Griezmann is the type of player that Manchester United need. He’s a clever player who can be in the pocket, create things and score goals. He is a great player who has scored so many goals for Atletico Madrid and it would be really exciting, but I don’t see him as a future signing for Manchester United.

“No disrespect to Griezmann at all, but I don’t understand why they would be looking at him. He’s a short-term solution but I don’t see the future of Manchester United with Antoine Griezmann in it.”

It remains to be seen whether Griezmann will end up joining United in January but the prospect of a move appears to be unlikely as things stand. He remains tied down to Atletico until 2026 and is thought to be more than happy in his current surroundings, with the 32-year-old not expected to leave the club any time soon.

United have been tentatively linked with Griezmann for a number of years and reportedly came close to signing him when Jose Mourinho was at the helm. Nothing came of the Red Devils’ interest, though, and he ended up staying at Atletico before moving to Barcelona for a nine-figure fee in 2019.

Griezmann went on to endure a torrid time at the Nou Camp before returning to his old stomping ground on loan two years later. He ended up making the deal permanent in 2022 and has since enjoyed a flying start to the new campaign, scoring 12 goals for Atletico in all competitions including four in the Champions League.

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