Antoine Griezmann Reportedly Tells Manchester United He Has Barcelona Agreement

Antoine Griezmann has reportedly informed Manchester United he has agreed a deal to join Barcelona next summer.

Mundo Deportivo's Francesc Aguilar shared the story on Friday (h/t sports journalist Jonas Giaever):

According to Aguilar (h/t Calciomercato.com's Kaustubh Pandey), United are still hoping to sign the Frenchman after missing out on him last summer.

Griezmann came close to moving to Old Trafford and had agreed terms on a five-year deal at Old Trafford, according to The Sun's Alex Terrell, but he stayed put because Atletico Madrid's ban on registering new players would have prevented them from replacing him.

Aguilar reported Barca were also interested in him but had to withdraw their interest when his release clause increased to €100 million (£87.6 million).

The forward's loyalty was commendable, though he has since had a poor campaign for Atleti.

He was booed off during Los Rojiblancos' 0-0 draw with Real Madrid in November after a disappointing showing.

Football writers David Cartlidge and Ryan Baldi believed that to be a sign of his imminent departure:

However, perhaps as a response to the fans' displeasure, Griezmann notched four goals and two assists in the following three matches, including a spectacular overhead kick against AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League, to take his tallies to seven and five respectively in all competitions.

A summer exit still appears likely, particularly as Atleti will have a ready-made replacement arriving in January in Diego Costa. But the Frenchman's form in that period offered a timely reminder as to why the likes of Barcelona and United are vying for his signature.

The Red Devils aren't lacking in firepower as much as they were at the start of last summer thanks to Romelu Lukaku's arrival, but it would still be a blow if Barcelona beat them to Griezmann's signing.

They can still make him an offer if they meet his release clause, though, so there may yet be some hope they can bring him to Old Trafford.