After all the build-up, the thought of Manchester United failing to sign Antoine Griezmann seems ludicrous now.
There’s a very good chance that that might be the case, however, as the Atletico Madrid forward decides on his future.
If Diego Simeone stays, the 25-year-old may well commit himself to Atleti too.
The Daily Mail report that United are losing interest as the La Liga club continue to play hardball. They are anxious not to anger their fans, who are already split over the decision to move away from the Vincente Calderon stadium.
Ultimately, as he has a release clause in his contract, it will be up to the player himself to decide what he wants to do.
In the meantime, United are turning their attentions to other targets.
The first is Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe, who made his debut for France in the defeat to Spain earlier this week.
The 18-year-old has scored 19 goals for Monaco in all competitions this season, and it’s thought the Ligue 1 club are fairly open to cashing in.
The other player being spied by United is found much closer to home. Everton’s Romelu Lukaku is not signing a new contract with the Toffees, leading to speculation that he’ll be on the move – though Jose Mourinho has already sold the 23-year-old once in his career.
As the Premier League’s top scorer, the Belgian has the added advantage of experience in English football, which Mbappe does not.
If the Red Devils do give up on Griezmann, though, they’ll be lucky to land either of Mbappe or Lukaku against some fierce competition.
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