On Transfers: Atletico fans will need time to get over the Antoine Griezmann ordeal

The damage left in the wake of a transfer saga can be extensive. For both sides of the Antoine Griezmann situation, there are questions left unanswered with everybody and nobody knowing what just happened in the last 24 hours. There was, obviously, interest from both parties with a deal looking likely at one, or maybe two, stages of the ordeal.

Atletico were confident that they would get their transfer ban overturned and this gave credence to the belief that they might let Griezmann go and replace him to appease the fans, Simeone and to ensure Atletico did not skip a beat in their eternal pursuit of the top two. What transpired was TAS rejected their appeal and everything changed for both United and Atletico.

There are also plenty of Atletico Madrid fans still angry at Griezmann's behaviour in recent weeks in the wake of recent developments. The truth is, however, that Atletico's talisman was looking out for his own future and was going to make sure Atletico were in a good situation to let him go. Once the verdict was revealed, however, Griezmann pinned his flag to the mast and for that he should be a applauded. In a world of cynicism and lack of loyalty, the French striker told United not to even bother trying to negotiate for him as he was unwilling to leave his manager "in the lurch".

It is understandable to suggest he was a little heavy-handed with his 6 our of 10 talk. It was naive but Griezmann was trying to play a game in the media that he was ill-equiped to play. He said he was prepared to leave but this seemed nothing more than a warning shot to the club's hierarchy that they needed to buy the right players and offer him the right contract so he could realise his ambitions and win trophies. It is that same ambition that has driven Atletico for the last three years as they made a Champions League final and semi-final and made the top three on the back of Griezmann scoring 83 goals in 160 games. It is hypocritical to suggest that same ambition needs to be curbed when it suits.

His loyalty has been evident in standing by Atletico in their time of need when the transfer ban appeal was rejected. He knew pushing a transfer through at this stage would be ungrateful and would ruin his relationship with the club and the fanbase. That cynicism needed to play a game of chicken in the media is not inate in Griezmann even though he tried.

Manchester United have money to spend. That is something we do know but Mark Ogden told Pilib de Brun on his podcast recently that one of the problems with the deal was that Atletico were demanding half of the €100 million up front. It was a complicated deal in the first place. He said that this is not how business is typically done with big transfer feed. For even the richest clubs in world football, to come up with €50 million cold hard cash would take some time and would mean Griezmann's transfer would be drawn out.

The problem is despite Griezmann's tweet that distanced himself further from a move to Manchester United, the transfer window remains open and doubts remain although they are starting to dissipate. Once the window is shut and Antoine Griezmann remains in Madrid, it might go a long way to healing the wounds that were opened a couple of weeks ago and have been getting steadily larger and deeper as the thoughts of a Griezmann departure got closer than ever.