Where to for Antoine Griezmann?

Last year, there was a great deal of speculation surrounding the future of Antoine Griezmann. Was he going to stay? Or was he going to leave? My gut told me the latter but Griezmann ended up staying. Over the years, Atletico Madrid has been Griezmann's team. He helped them to a La Liga title and a Champions League final. I think it's safe to say that he's played his heart out for his club and if he were to leave this summer, then it wouldn't be that hard to forgive him. That is if… he does not go to Barcelona of course.

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Griezmann is a franchise-altering player. Anywhere he chooses to go he will dramatically improve that team. He seems more than likely to leave Atletico this summer and the front-runner to sign him at the moment is Barcelona. Barcelona, along with Real Madrid, are Atletico's biggest rivals in La Liga. If Atletico lets him go to Barcelona this summer, then they should say goodbye to their chances of winning a La Liga title for the foreseeable future.

The worst part about this is that Barcelona is the perfect fit for him. He could take over Philippe Coutinho's role on the left flank or better yet he could start at striker for Luis Suarez. With Coutinho definitely on his way out this summer, Barca could definitely deploy Griezmann into that attacking role but the fact that a starting forward is on their way out isn't why Barca is the perfect fit for him although it was a good one.

What makes Barca perfect for Griezmann is he can float. By that I mean he can go all around the pitch changing flanks with opposing forwards or dropping in to play a different role. Griezmann is so versatile and alongside Messi, marking and tracking him would be a nightmare for all defenders. Plus, throw a facilitator like Frenkie de Jong into the mix and you have an attack that will most likely hold a 3-0 lead in the second leg of a UCL semi-final match.

So where else could Griezmann go? I saw a rumor that Manchester City would be prepared to pay his enormous buyout clause but where they'd find the money to do so is beyond me. As for Manchester United. Would it be smart to splash on a player who's 28 when you're focusing on a major rebuild? Perhaps not. Here's where I think the perfect fit would be.

Germany! Yes, Bayern Munich is the perfect spot for Griezmann (outside of Barcelona). Bayern secured their 7th straight Bundesliga title and two club legends, Franck Ribery, and Arjen Robben are leaving. Yes, Bayern has two young forwards in Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman, but Griezmann is someone who could come in and make an immediate impact. Also, James Rodriguez who was on loan from Real Madrid is set to return to Madrid. This season, we saw that Bayern lacked that it-factor in their second leg UCL loss to Liverpool. Throw Griezmann into that line-up and who knows what could happen.

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So there you have it. Barcelona will most likely sign him this summer, but be on the lookout for Bayern. I wouldn't put it past them to make a strong bid for him. Perhaps they could use Benjamin Pavard or Lucas Hernandez as incentives for Atletico as they will be in need of full-backs as theirs are aging. Lastly, this is all speculation so Griezmann could end up on Spurs for all we know. Regardless, the race to see who signs him surely is an exciting one to watch. I just really hope he doesn't go to Barcelona. Sorry Messi fans!