Why Antoine Griezmann Would Be a Superb Transfer for Chelsea

Now that they are Premier League champions, the mission for Chelsea ahead of 2015/16 is to get bigger and better.

Jose Mourinho must up the ante at Stamford Bridge, and the only way to do that is to win the Champions League.

We saw Chelsea come close to doing just that in 2014, but this year was a major disappointment, as they crashed out to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.

There was progress at home, but overseas, Chelsea regressed.

To address that brief slump in Europe, Mourinho must add players of a certain billing. The boss needs match-winners—the types who produce big performances when they're needed most—to score those vital goals that take teams above and beyond.

Step forward, Antoine Griezmann.

Talent has always come at a premium, but in these days of major TV deals, the value of sportsmen has become significantly inflated.

We're living in the age of the £85 million footballer, so when players like Griezmann are potentially available for half of that, any ambitious club needs to take notice.

Since the £43 million buyout clause in Griezmann's Atletico Madrid's contract was revealed, Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for the French ace, and the Daily Mail has reported it could become a race between the Blues and Bayern Munich for his signature this summer.

For Bayern, Griezmann is seen as a replacement for the ageing Franck Ribery, especially after an injury-blighted campaign restricted him to just nine Bundesliga starts.

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Griezmann wouldn't be replacing anybody at Chelsea, though. There's a position ready and waiting for him as the club's No. 10.

The 24-year-old is so versatile that we've seen him play across the front for Atletico—in attack, out wide and through the middle.

With Mourinho still attempting to sufficiently fill that central role among his three attacking midfielders, the stage seems set for Griezmann.

That's the area Chelsea must target this summer.

As we've seen, the dependency on Eden Hazard will only get this team so far. With Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, that has been eased somewhat, but on the big occasions this year, without another consistent, dynamic performer, Chelsea have lacked the know-how to overcome top opposition.

It happened against Paris Saint-Germain and, to a lesser degree, with Manchester City in their two Premier League draws.

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Chelsea have their strengths throughout the squad, and now it's about making them more formidable in attack.

Griezmann's form this term suggests he would bring much more than a creative streak in support of Costa as the lone striker—he'd also bring goals.

He scored 25 of them in all competitions during his debut campaign at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. And buoyed by the ability of Costa to transfer his scoring form from Atletico to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea should be feeling tempted.

The Griezmann package is all there. He's entering the prime years of his career, and he's experienced. His fee is also low enough to comply with Chelsea's financial structure, which is aimed at complying with UEFA's rule book.

They're not going to be breaking the bank the way a club interested in Gareth Bale would be forced to.

Additionally, Griezmann's arrival wouldn't hinder the players Chelsea have developed through the club's academy, which is an important factor Mourinho must take into account as he continues to evolve his team.

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There needs to be a balancing act with the academy considering what one marquee signing means for a player coming through.

Chelsea have been too dominant at youth level to turn their back on that project now.

Griezmann would be a starter for Chelsea. The notion of him filling a space in this squad wouldn't exist, leaving those fringe places open for players being groomed for stardom—think Izzy Brown, Charly Musonda and the like.

Mourinho is in a relatively privileged position right now. He's done the hard work in building his platform, so while Chelsea's domestic rivals are faced with overhauling their squads this summer, player turnover at Stamford Bridge should be relatively low.

It's about small additions and fine-tuning an already winning machine.

We're expecting any changes will be small, but Griezmann's impact would be significantly bigger.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes