Antoine Griezmann to LAFC: Why the transfer makes sense for Atletico Madrid, the French star and MLS

As Atletico Madrid look to refresh their squad with the additions of Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez, that could set up an exit for Antoine Griezmann to Major League Soccer. Griezmann is currently in talks with LAFC, according to Tom Bogert, and they're up against a tight timeline as the MLS transfer window slams shut on Aug. 14, but any deal negotiated could also be for the winter or summer to establish themselves as the top suitors for his services. He had an excellent season for Atletico with 23 goals and seven assists in all comPetitions but now 33, bringing down the average age of the team to comPete with Real Madrid and Barcelona makes sense.

Splashing out, Atletico Madrid are acknowledging that their current squad isn't good enough, and while in one sense Alvarez can fill the void left by Alvaro Morata's departure to Milan, in another, signing the Manchester City man means giving him the keys to the attack -- keys that are currently in Griezmann's hands.

"Giroud has talked about this in press conferences, and Griezmann has told Giroud 'we'll see,' when asked about moving to Los Angeles. Again, this has been one of the worst kept secrets and I would probably say the best open secret around MLS because Griezmann is an elite player. Still right now with Atletico Madrid, he's still looking to be a key player. There is a lot of change going on with Atletico Madrid," Tom Bogert said on CBS Sports Golazo's Scoreline about the addition of Griezmann. "Alvarez is on the way and Soloroth has already signed. So if LAFC is going to get this deal done before the Aug. 14 transfer deadline it needs to be moving forward soon." 

With his French national teammate Oliver Giroud and former teammate Hugo Lloris already in the Black and Gold, it's a move that makes a lot of sense for Griezmann. Coming to MLS, he could continue to be a star while also battling in one of the best rivalries that the league has to offer in El Trafico against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Teams are trying to keep up with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami and a move like this could help LAFC do it. Denis Bouanga is already a premier star in MLS and providing him with chance creators can vault LAFC into the stratosphere.

In Alvarez joining, it could hasten this exit because the Griezmann to Morata connection will now be filled by Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth. It's a younger, more dynamic version of what Diego Simeone is used to which is why it could help prepare for the future. 

The complexion of La Liga has changed greatly during this summer with Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrid, and to keep up teams will need to have young players who are flexible at multiple positions. With Atletico doing that, Griezmann is becoming surplus to requirements but with his next move already in the works, it could add yet another global star to the American Game as the buildup to the 2026 World Cup brings bigger and bigger names to MLS.