Antoine Griezmann is not coming to Houston
(image via Atletico Madrid)
The Houston Dynamo offseason has been off to a slow start. After letting several players go at the end of the season, the club has yet to sign any new players (they did re-sign Griffin Dorsey.) There isn’t a big need to bring in players like we saw with last year’s overhaul but the departure of Teenage Hadebe and the freeing up of his Designated Player spot has Dynamo fans intrigued. While teams around the league add DPs, Dynamo fans, for the most part, have one name on their mind: Antoine Griezmann. Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but, it’s not going to happen.
Yes, Griezmann played with Dynamo captain Hector Herrera at Atletico Madrid, and they are likely friends. Herrera and Griezmann probably have a lot of friends. They all aren’t coming to Houston. Herrera probably has the pull to get guys to come to Houston but a superstar like Griezmann will have several suitors if he were to leave his current club.
Griezmann is a well-known fan of the NBA and has been scene courtside at games. He has spoken about wanting to play in MLS after leaving Atletico Madrid. “I want to finish my time in Europe at Atlético Madrid. I know the club want to make that happen and it’s something we’ll talk about. Beyond Europe, I have always said that I’d like to try MLS later. But I’m also 100% sure Atlético will be my last club in Europe. It’s where I want to be, it’s where I feel happiest and it’s where I feel at home.” The Frenchman has even spoken recently about where he would like to play and live in the United Stats. “I still don’t know if it will be Miami or Los Angeles. They are two great cities. I like the mentality and the entertainment culture in the United States,” Griezmann recently told French newspaper L’Equipe.
Like most Europeans, Griezmann wants the glitz and glamour of Hollywood or South Beach. Antoine has shown admiration for Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun, but it doesn’t look like he sees Houston as an option for where he would like to move to in the US.
When Griezmann returned to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona he signed a contract with the club until June of 2026. Griezmann will be 35 when that contract ends. Of course, a team could buy him from Atletico before then but that would probably cost around $20 million. Ted Segal is a rich man but that’s a lot of money even to him.
The dream of Griezmann playing up front on this Dynamo midfield is probably just that, a dream. He would be an incredible addition to this team (or any team really) but he is still playing at the top of his game, having just become Madrid’s all-time leading goal scorer this week. Segal and the Dynamo front office have shown their willingness to splash cash and they will more than likely bring in a DP this season, perhaps in the summer. But it’s time to end the fantasy of Griezmann in orange.
