Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Antoine Griezmann and Asmir Begovic
Chelsea will reportedly compete against Manchester United for the right to sign Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, after the two Premier League rivals learned the cost of the France international's release clause.
Griezmann is said to have a release clause worth £95 million, according to Spanish source OK Diario (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Express).
The reports also detailed how both United and Chelsea are willing to pay: "The Atletico Madrid star is on Manchester United and Chelsea's radars for the coming summer. United are ready to break the transfer record in consecutive summers and are prepared to pay around £100 million to get Griezmann to Old Trafford. But Antonio Conte, with Diego Costa set to leave, will also be in the running."
Chelsea may be keen, but United appear to be the front-runners for ex-Real Sociedad attacker Griezmann. At least Spanish football expert Guillem Balague thinks so.
Balague told Sky Sports (h/t the Daily Star's Lewis Winter) how the door is still open for the Red Devils to convince Atleti to part with their star player: "My understanding is Griezmann is happy with life under Diego Simeone and rejected approaches from both United and City last summer. However, Atletico will consider a huge offer and United are still interested."
Chelsea and United's interest in Griezmann makes sense since the 25-year-old is one of the best forwards in Europe. Few strikers can match the Frenchman's knack for timing and intelligence off the ball.
Griezmann routinely takes up threatening positions thanks to a perceptive range of movement, excellent pace and a great instinct for when a chance will present itself. Those qualities have helped him score 14 goals across all competitions for Atletico so far this season, per WhoScored.com.
Chelsea and manager Antonio Conte may deem Griezmann worth the money, especially if Costa leaves Stamford Bridge this summer. The striker recently returned to action after a bust-up with Conte amid rumours of a transfer to China, per Dominic Fifield of the Guardian.
If Costa does push for a move to China, Chelsea will insist on receiving as much as £130 million for their talisman centre-forward, per Duncan Castles of the Sunday Times (h/t Sam Morgan of The Sun).
Castles noted how Costa's former Chelsea team-mate, Oscar—now playing for Shanghai SIPG—has been encouraging the Spain international to join him in China.
Griezmann would be a worthy replacement for Costa, even if he lacks the latter's physical presence.
Chelsea Want Replacement Before Selling Asmir Begovic
Chelsea reportedly won't sell back-up goalkeeper Asmir Begovic until they acquire a replacement. The Bosnian stopper is wanted by Bournemouth, but the Blues aren't yet ready to sell, according to Sky Sports.
Begovic has barely seen the pitch since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2015. However, the Blues will still demand a hefty transfer free for first-choice Thibaut Courtois' deputy, per the reports: "Chelsea want more than £10 million for Begovic now."
The Premier League leaders have already knocked back one bid from Bournemouth for Begovic, according to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph. Yet the Cherries are expected to try again.
However, the Blues should think twice before selling Begovic, especially since Real Madrid are said to be keen on Courtois, per another report from Law. The former Stoke City man may have featured only sparingly, but he's still good enough to start for any top Premier League club.
The 29-year-old has ample experience in England's top flight and is commanding enough to make every member of a defence feel secure. At the least, no other team in the division boasts a second 'keeper as gifted as Begovic.
Ideally, Chelsea won't need to sell either Costa or Begovic in the near future. Yet if they do, the Blues should only target top-quality replacements.
Griezmann fits the bill as a player capable of leading the line for a title contender.
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