Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed he is “not interested” in signing Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann.  

The Portuguese manager ended speculation surrounding the versatile forward’s potential switch to Stamford Bridge, as reported by Marca (h/t James Olley of the London Evening Standard): “Griezmann is a great striker but is not within our objectives to strengthen the squad for next season. We are not interested.”

Griezmann has also confirmed he isn’t looking to depart the Vicente Calderon after a terrific debut season, per the report: “I’m good at Atletico. I just arrived and I’m not a player who moves after the first year. I still need to learn and know that I can do it here and get very far at Atletico. I hope I can. I do not know interest from other clubs is true or not because they are rumours. I am happy at Atletico.”

Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror previously suggested Chelsea are “interested” in the player, but Mourinho confirmed otherwise. Griezmann netted 22 goals during his first La Liga season with Diego Simeone’s men, building on his 16-goal run for Real Sociedad the year before, per WhoScored.com. 

His versatility and energy make him suitable for a stint at Chelsea. Griezmann can play on either wing and through the middle in a supporting striker’s role, but he would need to up his defensive contribution to make it into Mourinho’s plans.

The Chelsea overseer relies on Eden Hazard and Willian on either side of lone striker Diego Costa. They both track back, offer defensive resistance and are ready to break forward when the side regains possession. Griezmann is used to playing organised, well-drilled football under Simeone and could easily make the transition.

His qualities are highlighted below:

Mourinho faces a difficult task when finding improvements for his squad, but he may look to land experienced winners who can aid Chelsea’s fight in the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic recently admitted his “only regret” is having played just one season under Mourinho at Inter Milan, per Telefoot (h/t Rohan Banerjee of the MailOnline). Interest from Chelsea is reported by Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express, and France Football recently suggested PSG have a major decision to make, per Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC:

A combination of Mourinho and Ibrahimovic in the Premier League would be great entertainment, as the characters of both men will appeal to many watchers of the division. B/R UK’s Andy Brassell believes Chelsea’s priorities could lie elsewhere, though:

Mourinho is right to put speculation around Griezmann to bed. Such reports could cause disruption in the Blues squad ahead of their bid to defend the Premier League title, so it’s best for all involved that a rapid response has been provided.

Ibrahimovic’s arrival seems unlikely—Chelsea don’t need a replacement for Costa—but it wouldn’t be beyond Mourinho to land a player of his calibre during the summer.

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