Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has admitted for the first time that in-demand attacker Antoine Griezmann could leave the Vicente Calderon at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.
Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for the France international, who has scored 21 times in 39 appearances for his Spanish club this season.
Griezmann recently reiterated his desire to remain in the Spanish capital, although it is understood that Man United will activate the attacker's £86m release clause this summer.
Simeone has revealed that he is desperate to keep the 25-year-old at Atletico, but cannot guarantee that will be the case.
"Could Griezmann leave this summer? Yes because there is a release clause and there are no guarantees. From here on in, I don't know what can happen," Simeone told AS.
"I spoke to him in the summer holidays, we spoke a lot and he stayed - he told me that he would stay if I stayed. He then spoke to his agents to sign the [contract] documents. Griezmann would never allow me to demand of him to stay, I didn't do it with [Diego] Costa or with [Radamel] Falcao.
"The players that have given me their lives, I obviously accompany them in the decisions that they take. What is clear is that as long as he stays, the team and the club will continue to grow. Great football players want to compete in the Champions League and fight until the end and Griezmann is a great football player."
Earlier this week, Griezmann admitted that he is open to the possibility of joining either Real Madrid or Barcelona in the future.
Matt Law
