“Speculations”: the leaders of Atlético de Madrid do not want to hear about the departure of Antoine Griezmann

The leaders of Atlético de Madrid took advantage of the draw for the round of 16 of the Champions League to send a message: they are counting on Antoine Griezmann. However, the former French international is in discussions with the Orlando City Soccer Club, an MLS team, a Championship that “Grizou” dreams of discovering.

The 2018 world champion is negotiating with the Florida club, which holds the player’s “discovery rights”, an MLS mechanism which gives priority to a team for a transfer, a source close to the negotiations told AFP.

“It’s important to us”

The sporting director of the Colchoneros defends another line. “This theme creates speculation from journalists, but Antoine still has two years of contract with us. He is absolutely focused on what is coming. Its performance is very good,” assured Mateu Alemany at the microphone of Movistar.

The manager says he only thinks about the fact that the top scorer in the club’s history helps them “until the end of the season and nothing else”. “Everything else is speculation,” he concluded.

Diego Simeone was less categorical. “We are talking with Antoine, he knows very well how important he is to us. You shouldn’t put pressure on him or say too much. We simply have to concentrate on the great deadlines ahead of us, Oviedo, Barcelona, ​​Real, Real Sociedad, Tottenham… there is no room (for the rest),” explained the coach at a press conference, according to comments reported by RMC Sport. It remains to be seen whether this is reality or just window dressing to move on to another subject.