Chelsea Transfer News: Antoine Griezmann Reacts to Atletico Madrid Exit Rumours

Atletico Madrid’s star forward Antoine Griezmann has revealed he is currently content with life in Spain, ruling out a possible transfer to the Premier League.

Per talkSPORT, both Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with a move for the French international in the past, having developed into one of the most feared forward players in European football. However, speaking to Canal Football Club (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) the 24-year-old outlined his intentions to stay in La Liga.

“I do not feel the need to play in Ligue 1, nor in the Premier League or in Serie A,” said the former Real Sociedad man. “I am in Spain—I’m happy. Life here, football, I like it all.”

Griezmann enjoyed a sensational debut campaign with Atletico following his big-money switch from La Real in the summer of 2014. Here’s a look back at some of his best moments in the iconic red and white strip:

It’s certainly easy to see why a team like Chelsea may be keen on signing a player with Griezmann’s attributes. 

The Blues have been poor going forward as of late. Manager Jose Mourinho has rolled the dice on numerous occasions when it comes to the attacking side of his team, with his most recent bold ploy leaving their main centre-forward Diego Costa on the bench; in the two games he’s been sidelined, Chelsea have failed to find the back of the net.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

As Bleacher Report’s Nick Akerman noted here, their troubles in front of goal have been hauled under the spotlight given the calibre of goalscorer they’ve let go:

While the sales of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are looking like big mistakes on the part of Mourinho, bringing in a player such as Griezmann would go some way to redeeming him. The Atletico man is adaptable, hard-working and direct in playing style. They’re the kind of attributes that have been scarce in their attack this term.

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/Getty Images

As Squawka Football noted recently, at the moment, Griezmann is pretty ruthless when it comes to goalscoring:

It’s refreshing to hear he’s happy with life in Spain despite the reported interest from England. After taking his game on a couple more notches it’d be easy for Griezmann to go searching for a lucrative deal in the Premier League, but he seems to appreciate that Atletico are a serious proposition this season and his development will be expedited by staying with the club.

Chelsea are not a side a player of Griezmann’s stature would want to join at the moment anyway. The Blues have been a rabble on the field for the majority of this campaign, and with Mourinho failing to locate an antidote for these longstanding issues, any top player seeking to further their career will stay well away from Stamford Bridge for the time being.