Manchester United Transfer News: Antoine Griezmann Reports Denied, Top Rumours

Manchester United have reportedly denied speculation the club has reached an agreement to sign Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann in the summer.

Despite reports in France stating the "basis of an agreement is in place" with the Frenchman, Press Association Sport (h/t ESPN FC) wrote that the Red Devils have no such deal as advanced as the one recently suggested.

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As mentioned in the article, Griezmann—who has scored 72 goals in 136 games for Atleti, per Transfermarkt—has long been a target for the Premier League club.

ESPN FC's Mark Ogden also reported the France international is one of two forwards sought after by the Premier League titans, with manager Jose Mourinho looking to recruit two forwards this summer.

Former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard told a BT Sport panel (h/t The Sun's Lee Astley) on Wednesday that United's lack of UEFA Champions League football could stop the deal going through: "He's playing in the Champions League for Atletico Madrid. He's got a chance of competing for that, which they have done for the past couple of years. And he's probably thinking: 'Yeah, Manchester United probably is a good move, but it's still going to be there in the summer.'"

French television station Canal+ (h/t the Guardian's Jamie Jackson) previously reported Griezmann, 25, had agreed personal terms and was set to match compatriot Paul Pogba's stratospheric wages at Old Trafford.

That means the forward would be in line for a salary worth £17.7 million per year, which is likely to be a considerable upgrade on the sum he rakes in at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

What's more, although it's been said United have not agreed to a transfer fee for the player, Sky Sports News HQ's Kaveh Solhekol reported the English giants are prepared to trigger Griezmann's release clause to execute a deal:

Much may depend on whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, opts to prolong his stay at Old Trafford after joining United last summer on a one-year contract with the option to extend his deal by another 12 months.

Michael Andersson handed a then-17-year-old Ibrahimovic his professional debut at Swedish outfit Malmo FF, and he suggested the veteran can remain with the Red Devils for a while, per Alex Porter of the Manchester Evening News:

"

Zlatan's skills fit United very well. He always adapts to whatever league he is in. I don't think him playing until he's 40 is impossible. He has been lucky not to have any serious injuries in his career. But it's not impossible he can play for United for another three or five years.

"

With Marcus Rashford also emerging through their ranks and Anthony Martial vying for playing time up front, Griezmann's mooted arrival has the potential to obstruct several figures in the United attack.

That being said, football writer Liam Canning voiced his opinion that it's a matter of when, not if, the transfer goes through:

Griezmann has proved himself to be a devastating force in La Liga and has taken his career to new heights since joining Los Rojiblancos from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2014.

United seemingly have the means to meet both the club and the player's demands to strike a deal, although nothing has materialised just yet.