Atletico Madrid ace Antoine Griezmann, a former teammate of Lee Kang-in, has denied recent rumors of a move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
“I want to stay at Atletico, me and my family are very happy in Madrid,” Griezmann, who is currently on international duty with the French national team, said in a statement on Monday (Aug. 18). “I want to win La Liga with Atletico and do something special in the UEFA Champions League,” he added.
French forward Griezmann is Atletico’s top ace. He came up through the ranks at Real Sociedad in La Liga and donned the Atletico shirt in 2014. He won the Supercopa de España, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup before moving to Barcelona in 2019.
However, he never won a La Liga or UEFA Champions League title with Atletico. Desperate to win trophies, Griezmann left for Barcelona, a move that many Atletico fans criticized as a betrayal of the club.
As fate would have it, Griezmann’s move to Barcelona didn’t help Barcelona win the league. Instead, Atletico went on to top La Liga in the 2020/21 season.
Griezmann eventually returned to Atletico on loan last season after struggling in Barcelona. His return season was unimpressive, but he started to show signs of resurgence this season. Griezmann made a complete comeback, scoring 16 goals and providing 18 assists in 48 appearances last season, earning him a full transfer to Atletico and reestablishing himself as an ace.
So when Lee Kang-in was rumored to be joining Atletico this summer, many fans were hoping for a Lee/Griezmann combination. With Lee looking more likely to head to PSG rather than Atletico, the pairing became more unlikely, but if Griezmann was willing to leave for PSG, we could still see the duo pairing up at PSG rather than Atletico.
Meanwhile, PSG have been linked with a number of strikers, not just Griezmann. Having already let Lionel Messi leave on a free transfer, PSG’s relationship with team centerpiece Kylian Mbappe has become strained.안전놀이터
Mbappe, whose contract expires next summer, has informed PSG that he will not be exercising his option for a one-year extension, and the club would like to sell him this summer for a transfer fee, but Mbappe is adamant that he will become a free agent next summer.
Whether Mbappe leaves or stays, PSG will need to find a new striker. Local reports suggest that Lee Kang-in and Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio could join PSG soon, while Bernardo Silva, whose future at Manchester City is uncertain, is also on the PSG transfer list.