Orlando City are pushing hard to bring Antoine Griezmann to MLS, with talks moving in the right direction, as first reported by Tom Bogert and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic. Nothing is signed, sealed or formally agreed.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say the Florida club have made the 34-year-old their priority for the open designated player slot.
Sporting director Ricardo Moreira has travelled to Spain more than once in recent weeks as discussions continue.
Griezmann and MLS have circled each other for years, with the French star rarely missing an opportunity to express his affection for the United States, the NBA games, the holidays, and their culture.
After France won the 2018 World Cup, he used a U.S. television interview to shout out Derrick Rose. Those around the player have long said a move across the Atlantic is appealing.
Inter Miami looked at him at one stage, but their designated player spots were full. Orlando, crucially, holds his MLS discovery rights, which effectively puts them at the front of the queue inside the league if he decides to come.
Atlético Madrid remain alive in the Copa del Rey and are not in the habit of losing key figures mid-season.
Griezmann is not just another squad player, but the club’s all-time leading scorer, with more than 200 goals, and still central to Diego Simeone’s side, which makes the possibility of a move complicated.
Orlando believes the timing of MLS’s primary window – open until March 26 – gives them a chance to position themselves early. Whether that becomes decisive depends less on Florida and more on Madrid.
If the move happens, Griezmann would walk into a league that now houses Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min, Thomas Müller and Hugo Lloris.
Griezmann has six La Liga goals this season. Last year he produced eight goals, registering seven assists in the process.
His influence at Atletico has evolved over time, becoming less explosive than in his earlier years and more cerebral in how he impacts games.
Before Barcelona paid €120 million to sign him in 2019, he had delivered five straight seasons of 20 goals or more for the Rojiblancos.
For all the club and international success the Frenchman has enjoyed, a Spanish league title is still missing in his cabinet.
He has won a Europa League, a Copa del Rey, a Supercopa, a European Super Cup, and has recorded 44 international goals for France and a World Cup winner’s medal in the process, but never a La Liga title.
Orlando entered MLS with Kaka as its centrepiece and later brought in Nani. They understand the impact of a marquee signing and what it does for the club.
The Wilf family, who also own the Minnesota Vikings, have backed youth recruitment this winter with three Brazilian under-22 signings already in place, but the club lacks a global reference point.
For now, discussions are ongoing, but no agreement has been reached. Orlando is keen to move things forward, while Atlético remain focused on their season and are not under any pressure whatsoever to sell.
