Manchester United Transfer News: Antoine Griezmann Talks Amid Atletico Rumours

Reported Manchester United and Arsenal target Antoine Griezmann has said he would only consider leaving Atletico Madrid if manager Diego Simeone were to depart.

He told French TV show Telefoot (h/t Sky Sports' Gerard Brand):

"

The only doubt would be if Simeone leaves for [Paris Saint-Germain] or wherever. I called him before extending my contract and he confirmed to me that he was staying. I can learn a lot from him.

PSG are not my goal at the moment. I'm happy in Spain. I'm always proud to be popular with the fans. I try to smile and do my best. If they like it, it's even better.

"

According to Metro's Lee Thomas-Mason, both United and the Gunners are interested in landing the forward.

Per Brand, the Frenchman only put pen to paper on a contract extension in June, which is designed to keep him at the Vicente Calderon until 2021.

However, Bleacher Report's Dean Jones stated Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho has identified Griezmann as a marquee signing for next summer:

The 25-year-old netted 32 goals for Los Rojiblancos in all competitions last season, and as WhoScored.com revealed, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been more prolific in Spanish football in recent years:

Griezmann's explosive pace and clinical finishing, combined with his willingness to work hard, press and track back, make him a top-quality player who could improve most, if not all, sides in the Premier League.

He's not bad in the air, either:

United are in need of a long-term replacement for Wayne Rooney—soon to be 31, the England international's decline in recent seasons has been plain to see.

Griezmann would make an outstanding candidate and is the exact sort of player United need to sign as they aim to expedite their return to the heights they scaled under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson—a team containing him, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is one that could surely challenge for the UEFA Champions League.

Simeone's transformation of Atletico into contenders in LaLiga and the Champions League will have undoubtedly caught the attention of Europe's other elite clubs, so it would not be a surprise if he's targeted in the next year or two.

His departure could spark an exodus of players at Atletico—Griezmann would likely be among the first pursued.