Manchester United transfer target Antoine Griezmann has been advised to stay at Atletico Madrid by team-mate Fernando Torres. The former Liverpool striker has told the sought-after Griezmann he won't find a better club to continue developing at than Atleti.Torres thinks there is no reason for Griezmann to quit La Liga and has urged his strike partner not to make the mistake he made when he swapped Liverpool red for Chelsea blue in 2011.He has also indicated he wants Griezmann to end his career in the Spanish capital, per an interview with BBC Football Focus (h/t BBC Sport): "Where are you going to go to improve what you have in Atletico' Not many places in the world.I hope he can stay with us forever."Torres believes Atletico can offer Griezmann the chance to test himself at the highest levels of the game consistently: "You can go to many other places in the world, and they cannot offer what Atletico can offer you right now: competing in the league, competing in the Champions League, one of the most respected teams in Europeso there is no reason to leave."Since United are still a doubt to be involved in the Champions League next season, Griezmann already has an excuse to turn the Manchester club down.Griezmann taking Torres' advice and staying put would certainly scupper United's transfer plans. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with the prolific France international recently.In fact, the Old Trafford club had even been tipped to have already agreed a deal with the 26-year-old back in February, according to James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph. However, the rumours have shifted somewhat since.Last month, the player's representatives denied such as deal was in place, per French source L'Equipe (h/t Dan Gibbs of the Daily Express), although another report from Ducker on March 30 indicated United will trigger Griezmann's release clause worth 85 million this summer.There is little doubt United need a forward with Griezmann's qualities. Those qualities include the most intelligent off-the-ball movement on the continent. No attacker consistently puts himself in threatening positions as often as Griezmann.His cerebral movement is augmented by terrific pace and true class as a finisher. Griezmann is capable of putting chances away with either foot and is also deceptively effective in the air.He has also proved himself a man for the big occasions. Griezmann scored the decisive goal in the second leg of last season's UEFA Champions League semi-final to knock out Bayern Munich in Germany.More recently, he netted a priceless equaliser away in the La Liga derby against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. It was Torres who set Griezmann free behind Real's defence, and the 33-year-old has formed a useful partnership with his young team-mate.In many ways, Torres has reinvented himself to act as the foil for Griezmann, playing with his back to goal and using clever touches to release the latter's perceptive runs.It's worked well for Atleti, and Torres believes now is not the time for Griezmann to make the choice he made at the same age in 2011, per BBC Sport: "Talking about Griezmann, I was in that situation where I wanted to be the best and I wanted to go to a team who give me the tools to become the best."Torres indicated he had to leave Liverpool: "I had everything at Liverpool. But then they sell the best players, the manager. So I had to find my own way."Yet Torres does not think Griezmann's situation is the same: "We were in the Champions League final [last season], he played in the Euro final with France, so I think he realises how difficult it is to become champion, but he is right there.He has the world in his hands."Of course, United already know about Griezmann's immense potential. It's why they remain so keen to sign him.Manager Jose Mourinho will also know how much his misfiring squad needs more ruthless and efficient finishers for next season. Mourinho has already seen United draw 12 matches in the Premier League, including nine stalemates at home.The United boss hasn't been shy about criticising his goal-shy forwards. In fact, Mourinho offered this blunt assessment after watching his side draw 1-1 in Anderlecht in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, per Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News:By contrast, Griezmann netted the only goal of the game to help Atleti beat Leicester City 1-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. It's given Los Rojiblancos a great chance to make a third Champions League final in the last four seasons.In this context, the clamour for United to do all they can to convince Griezmann to ignore Torres and move to the Premier League will continue, even though it will take a lot to make it happen.There's no doubt a former Liverpool player telling a burgeoning star to turn down the chance to move to Old Trafford won't go down well with the Unitedfaithful. However, Torres' view has merit since Griezmann is the focal point of a team geared to playing to his strengths, a team fast becoming a regular fixture at the top end of the Champions League.
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