Arsenal make shock Antoine Griezmann bid, £60m clause

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Arsene Wenger, under pressure to sign a striker, has spent the summer trying to persuade Atletico Madrid to sell Antoine Griezmann, 25.

The French international played a starring role as Les Bleus reached the final of Euro 2016 and was named Player of the Tournament.

Wenger was impressed by what he saw in his compatriot and worked quietly behind the scenes to bring Atletico to the negotiating table.

Whilst the Spanish club were interested in Diego Costa, 27, the Arsenal boss felt he stood a chance of taking Griezmann to the Emirates. However, when it became clear that the Brazilian-born Spanish international was staying at Stamford Bridge, Wenger’s hopes disappeared.

Griezmann signed a new deal with Atletico in June which contained a buy-out clause of £86.2m although Arsenal were prepared to open the negotiations with a £60m bid.

Wenger kept the pursuit quiet in the hope of sealing the deal before any of Europe’s powerhouses found out and gazumped the Gunners.

It was another disappointment in a long summer which has seen the north London club miss out on Gonzalo Higuain, 28, Alexandre Lacazette, 25, and Alvaro Morata, 23.

Before the transfer window opened, Wenger identified signing another striker as a high priority. It seems that hunt has, like so much of Arsenal’s other business this summer, failed to bring in much-needed fresh blood to the Arsenal squad.

 

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