Manchester United are reportedly prepared to offer Atletico Madrid £100m for French superstar Antoine Griezmann and have left the number seven free ready for his arrival, according to the Daily Star.
The paper say the 26-year-old decided to stay in Spain this summer amid speculation of a move to Old Trafford but Red Devil boss Jose Mourinho is still very much interested in bringing the attacker to Manchester.
The striker starred in Euro 2016 as he helped guide France to the final of the competition where they lost 1-0 to Portugal.
The club have opted not to allocate the iconic number seven jersey to anyone in the squad this year after the former owner Memphis Depay left for Ligue 1 outfit Lyon last January.
The Daily Star claim the club see the shirt as of high commercial value with the number now an honour to bestow on a player should they be offered it after being worn by United legends such as George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With January historically a hard time to pull of major transfers, Mourinho may have to wait until the summer before he makes a formal bid, although with Atletico’s transfer ban being lifted in the new year tied in with their desire to re-claim Chelsea rogue Diego Costa, it could pave a path leading to the Theatre of Dreams.
A potential tenure-defining transfer, Mourinho will have to act carefully if he is to bring Griezmann to his club and make him his next number seven.