Antoine Griezmann's £85M Fee Reportedly to Be Triggered by Manchester United

Manchester United are reportedly planning to trigger Antoine Griezmann's £85 million release clause in the summer, and Paul Pogba has been helping convince the Atletico Madrid star he could settle in England.

According to James Ducker in the Telegraph, Pogba has given his fellow Frenchman assurances about the English weather and United are at the head of the queue to sign the 26-year-old, with manager Jose Mourinho having asked the Old Trafford hierarchy "to focus their efforts on signing Griezmann this summer."

Ducker added that United have "been encouraged by the reaction of intermediaries" in their early pursuit of Griezmann but that there is still a chance he could opt to stay at Atleti. 

If Diego Simeone decides to stay on as manager, Atleti win the UEFA Champions League or United fail to qualify for next season's edition of Europe's premier club tournament, signing Griezmann could be a challenge, per Ducker.

However, United are in desperate need of added firepower, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the only Red Devil to have reached double figures in goals in the Premier League this season.

France international Griezmann, meanwhile, has netted more than 20 goals in each of his past two full seasons in La Liga, and he has 14 from 27 appearances in the Spanish top flight in 2016-17, per WhoScored.com.

Season	Apps	Mins	Goals	Assists
Atletico Madrid
2016-17	27	2319	14	7
2015-16	36(2)	3058	22	5
2014-15	29(8)	2473	22	1
Real Sociedad
2013-14	31(4)	2666	16	3
2012-13	32(2)	2859	10	3
2011-12	28(7)	2621	7	4
2010-11	34(3)	2869	7	1

He is also an effective creator and can play on either flank or as a No. 10 if required.

Should he join United in the summer, he could likely form an effective partnership with Ibrahimovic at the head of United's attack—assuming the Swede stays at Old Trafford—and would be a fine successor for the 35-year-old when he calls it a day.

Griezmann previously told French radio station RMC (h/t Ducker) his reservations about moving to the England related to matters off the field, and he referenced "everything like rain, bad weather...I need to feel happy outside."

That is likely where Pogba comes in, and it seems the former Juventus midfielder has been assuring his compatriot about the Manchester climate.

If Griezmann can be persuaded, United look in pole position to snap up the forward, and if they do meet his £85 million release clause they will avoid the need for drawn-out negotiations with Atleti.