Why could we not see him at Arsenal? Robert Pires responds to Antoine Griezmann transfer links

Former Arsenal stalwart Robert Pires believes that talented compatriot and noted Manchester United target Antoine Griezmann would be an ideal fit for his former club. The Atletico Madrid talisman has long since established himself as one of European football's most impressive and sought-after attacking talents and continues to be linked with a potential transfer after racking up 20 goals and 10 assists across all competitions so far this season.

While Griezmann has been linked with most of the Premier League's usual suspects, Old Trafford appears his most likely next destination. Earlier this month, reports from France cited by The Telegraph suggested that United had reached a principle agreement for the 25-year-old, whose five-year contract extension signed in June 2016 included a €100m (£86.5m, $105.8m) buyout clause, to join the club during the summer with a contract worth around £15m-per-year said to have been discussed.

Ex-United luminaries such as Paul Scholes and Roy Keane have urged United to sign Griezmann, who subsequently threw any potential switch into question by revealing his doubts over playing in England.

While many still expect the Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner to follow in the footsteps of international teammate Paul Pogba, Pires believes that he would reap the benefits of a move to north London.

"I think this is only speculation and rumours about Antoine Griezmann for Manchester United. But why could we not see Griezmann at Arsenal?" he told French-Lebanese journalist Natacha Tannous when asked what move would suit Griezmann best. "He has a good profile to play with this team. He can, I think, learn a lot with [Arsene] Wenger, with [Mesut] Ozil, Sanchez, [Santi] Cazorla. So yeah, fingers crossed."

Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has made little secret of his desire to retain Griezmann's services and last month dismissed United as a "small team" and insisted that the player "loves life" in the Spanish capital.

Speaking earlier this week, former Liverpool forward Iago Aspas, who himself has been mentioned as a prospective future signing for Diego Simeone, claimed that Griezmann has a difficult choice to make.

"This depends on every player and the team because if we are talking about great teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool or Arsenal, it's difficult to say no when you are at a medium-sized club," he told AS. "But Griezmann plays for a great one with Atletico, and sometimes it's not easy to make a decision."