Antoine Griezmann has been productive for Atletico Madrid this season, despite the fact that he is the subject of a fierce competition to be transferred.

The speculation regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United was a sideshow throughout the entire summer. This speculation dragged on throughout the months of July and August, and when the transfer window finally shut on September 1, Ronaldo, who is 37 years old, was still playing for Old Trafford.

That put an end to the drama for the time being, but the upcoming few months will show whether this was merely a temporary pause or a permanent halt to his efforts to leave the club. After making it abundantly clear that he wanted to continue playing in the Champions League, Ronaldo skipped a sizeable portion of United's preseason games due to personal obligations.

However, as time went on, it became abundantly clear that there was no market for him among the elite of Europe. As a result, his options gradually decreased. Continuing to reside at United has hardly been fruitful in any way.

Ronaldo has been on the bench for the last four games in a row in the Premier League, but he has started the last two games in the Europa League, which were against Real Sociedad and FC Sheriff Tiraspol. It was exciting for him to score his first goal of the season in Moldova last week, but the Zimbru Stadium in Chisinau wasn't the kind of venue he expected to be doing his "Siu" celebration in at this point in his career.

If Ronaldo's first-team involvement at United remains limited between now and January, then there is every possibility that he will push to leave once again, possibly broadening his options given his lack of game time. This possibility exists because there is no certainty that he will receive more playing time at United. Since Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are still nursing injuries and Manchester United have 13 games to play in the remaining 43 days before the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo will almost certainly start some of those games.

The quality of competitions in which he participates could end up being the deciding factor in any choice he makes in the month of January. It is more likely that he will play in the Premier League matches against Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea than in the two Europa League matches against Omonia Nicosia. He will have this expectation.

If it becomes abundantly clear that Erik ten Hag does not have him in his plans for the first team, Ronaldo will almost certainly be interested in a move in January, and it is not outside the realm of possibility that potential suitors will be more encouraged to make a move at that time. He will have the opportunity to demonstrate his credentials on the world's largest stage at the upcoming World Cup, and clubs such as Bayern Munich and Chelsea may look to him as a short-term solution if their current issues persist until the new year.

But if Ronaldo decides to leave United in the middle of the season, the club will need to find a replacement for him. Although it is unlikely that a young striker playing at the highest level can be found in January to serve as a long-term replacement, there will be options available for the short term.

Antoine Griezmann, a player who has been linked with Manchester United for years and whose own future beyond January is also uncertain, is one of the players who has been mentioned.

At this time, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are engaged in a difficult dispute regarding the transfer of the 31-year-old player, which has the potential to be brought before a judge. There was a clause in the contract that stated the move would become permanent for the price of €40 million if Griezmann played more than 45 minutes in more than 50 percent of the games he was available for when he returned to his former club on loan for two years last summer.

A schism in opinion has emerged, which is perhaps not surprising given the peculiar nature of the transaction. Barcelona believes that they are owed €40 million at this point, while Atletico have begun using Griezmann primarily as a substitute to avoid the clause becoming active and to strengthen their hand in negotiations to reduce the fee. Barcelona believes that they are owed €40 million.

The Frenchman got the start in Sunday's derby against Real Madrid, but prior to that, he had been substituted in between minute 61 and minute 64 in each of the previous seven games he had played. The strategy is now completely transparent.

Griezmann has still managed to score three goals and has been a standout performer for Diego Simeone's team, either in attack or as an advanced midfielder, a new string to his bow this season. Despite only playing a half an hour each week, Griezmann has managed to score three goals.

In the event that the dispute between Barcelona and Atletico continues until January, one potential resolution would be for Griezmann to transfer to another club. He could be had for a reduced fee, and it is abundantly clear that he is still an outstanding performer.

Although Christian Eriksen is not the long-term center forward Ten Hag would have chosen to build around, United boss David Moyes has already demonstrated that he places a high value on experience by signing Eriksen. Griezmann is six years younger than Ronaldo and also adds more versatility to the forward line; therefore, if United need a forward midway through the season, Griezmann could certainly be an option for them to consider.