Gerrard: I know why Griezmann snubbed Manchester United

The Atletico striker is top of Jose Mourinho's wishlist - but he must wait to sign him and one of the club's former foes has no doubt why.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard believes Antoine Griezmann wouldn't have wanted to join Manchester United in January due to a lack of Champions League football.

Griezmann's Atletico Madrid are set to play in the first leg of a Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona and are in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Leaving Atletico, who have reached the final of the European competition two of the last three seasons, would mean Griezmann sacrificing the chance of winning the trophy he came a penalty shoot-out away from in 2015-16.

With Manchester United slugging it out in the second-tier Europa League, Gerrard cannot see why Griezmann would have jumped at United's interest in signing the 25-year-old France international.

“He's playing in the Champions League for Atletico Madrid," Gerrard, who spent almost all his career with United as his main rivals, told BT Sport.

"He's got a chance of competing for that, which they have done for the past couple of years.