Road Clears For Chelsea To Announce Antoine Griezmann Signing

If you believe a report by Football Italia, Atletico Madrid are interested in signing former Chelsea target Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli. This will further buttress the report by highly reliable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio who reported that Higuain’s brother who also acts as his agent will be meeting with Napoli’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis to discuss the future of the player.

Higuain who has scored a total of 27 goals and created 11 assists in the 57 games he has played in so far this season reportedly wants out and he is not lacking suitors as aside Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be interested in signing the player.

However, what we find interesting is the part that says Atletico Madrid are interested in signing him. This will have a positive impact on Chelsea’s transfer business this summer. It could well mean that Atletico Madrid are getting in a replacement in advance for Chelsea bound Antoine Griezmann.

Anyone conversant with how the transfer world works these days will know that selling clubs always prefer to get in a replacement before letting go their players. This could explain the delay in the Griezmann deal despite the reports claiming the deal has practically be done and dusted.

Should Atletico Madrid successfully get Higuain ( and judging by their history in the transfer market, they should as they are known not to be afraid to spend on quality strikers  – Falcao, Diego Forlan, Agurrero, Diego Costa and Griezmann should make the picture clearer), they will have no need for Griezmann which means Chelsea can then sign the player. I honestly do not see how Atletic will be interested in Higuain if it is not because they will be selling Griezmann.

It could be argued that Manduzkic is also being linked away and Higuain could be a replacement for him, but personally, I do not think so. This season so far, Manduzkic hasn’t contribute much to Atleti and I do not think even if they are selling him, they will be bringing in someone as big as Higuain. Let’s face it, it is not as if Atleti has so much money to burn. If they are to replace Manduzkic, it will be with a player in the 15-20 million bracket not one in the 25-35 million bracket.