Why Chelsea should secure the signing of Antoine Griezmann
According to The Sun, Chelsea are one among a number of clubs monitoring the situation of Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann, as they weigh up a summer move for the Frenchman.
Griezmann started out at the academy of French club Maconnais, before moving to the Real Sociedad youth setup in 2005. The forward rose rapidly through the ranks at the club and made his first-team debut in 2009. He grew into a key player in the coming years, racking up 202 appearances, in which he scored 52 goals and assisted 18.
Griezmann joined Atletico Madrid in 2014 and grew into one of the most feared forwards in Europe during his time with the Rojiblancos. In five years at the club, the 29-year-old bagged 133 goals and 50 assists in 257 appearances before joining Barcelona last summer.
Griezmann’s time at Barcelona hasn’t been easy so far, but prior to the season suspension, he was showing signs of form. Despite his mixed bag season with the Catalans, he has still managed 14 goals and 4 assists in 37 matches in all competitions.
A World Cup winner with France and a UEFA Europa League winner with Atletico Madrid, Griezmann would add some much-needed experience and winning mentality to a youthful Chelsea side, while boosting their quality in the centre-forward department.
Verdict
Chelsea have gone along well with Tammy Abraham leading the line this season. But they need to add a world-class goalscorer to their ranks in order to challenge for the big honours. Especially considering either of Giroud or Batshuayi could be sold in the summer.
Hence, they should make an attempt to land Griezmann, who would not only boost the overall quality of the team but add experience and winning mentality to the team.