Antoine Griezmann: Manchester United plotting £65m summer move for Atletico Madrid forward

Manchester United will try to sign French forward Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in the summer, according to reports. The Premier League club's scouts have been watching the 25-year-old in action in Spain as they look to revamp their squad in the close season.

United are willing to pay up to £65m (€80m) to prise Griezmann away from the Vicente Calderon, according to Sun on Sunday.

That would eclipse the British transfer record £59.7m the Red Devils paid to Real Madrid for Angel Di Maria in 2014.

However, United face stiff competition from some of Europe's biggest clubs for Griezmann's signature, with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.

A failure to qualify for the Champions League next season could hurt the Old Trafford club's chances of attracting top-tier talent, while there is also uncertainty surrounding the future of manager Louis van Gaal.

United are five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City at sixth on the Premier League table, but have a game in hand on their local rivals.

Mourinho admiration

Griezmann scored the only goal of the game as Atletico beat Rayo Vallecano at the Calderon on 30 April to keep them in the hunt for the La Liga title.

The Frenchman has scored 21 goals in 36 league appearances for Diego Simeone's side this season and is contracted with the Madrid club until 2020.

The Sun claimed that Jose Mourinho, who has been mooted to replace Van Gaal in the Old Trafford hot seat in the summer, is a big fan of Griezmann.

United could pursue Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if their move for Griezmann falls through, according to the paper.

The club's hierarchy held talks with Mourinho in February, and there is reported to be an option for the Portuguese to back out of a deal to manage the club if Champions League football is not on offer at Old Trafford next season.