'Griezmann wants to stay'

Griezmann has been linked with a move away from Atletico for some time now and many believe that he would have joined Manchester United last summer had it not been for the transfer ban imposed upon 'Los Colchoneros'.

Despite a poor start to the season which has seen him score just three goals in 13 games so far this season, Griezmann remains hot property, with Barcelona, United, Manchester City and PSG all thought to be keeping a close eye on the player.

Speaking to 'Europa Press', Cerezo has moved to deny reports of an imminent departure for the French international.

'He wants to say here,' he explained. 'That is what he is saying and nowhere has he said he wants to leave us, in fact he has said the opposite. He has a contract with Atletico.'

The 26-year-old admitted earlier this week that it would be a 'dream' to line up alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, but Cerezo insists that those remarks were just a joke.

'You do not understand Griezmann, or his sense of humour,' he replied bluntly when quizzed about the comments.

'What you don't know is that maybe those two could come here.' 

Some Atleti fans have claimed that the reason for Griezmann's lack of form is that his head is elsewhere, with reports in Spain suggesting that he has already held talks with Barcelona over a move.

Those rumours have been fed by the news that the striker shares the same agent as Barca boss Ernesto Valverde.

Whether that is true or not, the stats do not lie and Griezmann has now gone seven games (596 minutes) without finding the net for Atletico, his longest barren spell since joining the club and manager Diego Simeone appears to be losing faith in his talisman. The Argentine has withdrawn Griezmann three times this season when chasing a game, whilst recently declaring that 'we don't have a player who decides games single-handedly.'

As things stand, Griezmann risks seeing his Atletico Madrid career draw to a close under a cloud, but there is always hope that a purple patch could turn his season around, as they say: form is temporary, class is permanent.