Arsenal and Liverpool Told to Pay £25m for Antoine Griezmann

Real Sociedad manager Jagoba Arrasate has attempted to ward off Arsenal and Liverpool by asking them to meet their £25m valuation of his star player, Antoine Griezmann.

The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League with Arsenal and Liverpool thought to be the clubs competing to sign the talented forward during the upcoming transfer window.

Griezmann has been one of the top players for the La Liga outfit during the 2013/14 season, which has seen him score 19 goals in all competitions making 42 appearances.

The Gunners remain the French international's long-term admirers and were reportedly ready to launch a bid high enough to convince the Sociedad officials to part ways with their prized asset.

However, Arrasate wants his potential suitors to meet his release clause.

"Right now, as I understand it, he will continue [at Real Sociedad]. He's a player who has a contract with us. It's not easy to pay €30m (£25m) for a player and that makes us relatively calm," the Daily Express quoted Arrasate as saying.

Earlier this year, the north London club's manager Arsene Wenger had confirmed that he has been monitoring Griezmann for a long time with Chelsea and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain also believed to be among the interested parties.

"Yes, we follow him in great detail. He attracts other clubs as well. But we follow him, he is a known commodity," Wenger explained.

Griezmann, who still has two years left in his contract with Sociedad, is currently preparing for the World Cup after his national team manager Didier Deschamps included him in his 23-man squad.

When questioned about his rumoured departure from the club last month, the forward said, "Better than here (Real Sociedad) I am not going to be anywhere. Because Real is a great club and with a great squad."

"If one day I leave, it will be to move to a big club. But there is still a long time for that. That's something that the club and my agent will deal with. I'm here enjoying myself and we'll see what can happen. I'm focused on playing," he added.