Jose Mourinho is set to bring in his second signing of the transfer window – Real Sociedad’s young Frenchman, Antoine Griezmann.
Juan Mata will be leaving Stamford Bridge within 48 hours, although it’s still not certain to be Manchester United rather than Atletico Madrid, and Mourinho is moving swiftly to secure a replacement.
Griezmann has youth on his side. Aged only 22, he has already made over 160 appearances for the San Sebastian club, scoring 42 goals in the process. He can play as a centre forward, although he is more often deployed as a left winger.
This has been a breakthrough season for Griezmann. He has been the stand out player for Sociedad and his ten goals have propelled Sociedad up to sixth in La Liga. Scouts have been watching his progress from all over Europe – Arsenal had a bid rejected earlier this month. Chelsea have decided to strike now to avoid a summer signature scramble.
Griezmann is small and wiry, what he lacks in raw pace he makes up for in technical ability. He is in many ways like a young Juan Mata. Which makes you wonder – if Mourinho dislikes Juan Mata so much, why is he lining up a replacement in a similar mould?
The move to Chelsea should go through over the weekend. Sociedad will be left with a healthier bank account but a huge deficit in their attacking ability.
