Chelsea signed striker Alvaro Morata in the summer of 2017 for £60 million. The price was a club record, but Morata failed in his debut campaign with the Blues. Now, he wants to leave Stamford Bridge as soon as possible and return to Italy where he previously played with Juventus.
Alvaro Morata to leave Chelsea
Morata has made no secret of his desire to leave Chelsea this summer. The striker scored just 15 goals in 48 matches in all competitions. His failure with the Blues was highlighted late in January when manager Antonio Conte was forced to sign Olivier Giroud from Arsenal. Morata went on to score just once between Boxing Day at the FA Cup final.
The striker’s terrible form resulted in previous Spanish manager Julen Lupetegui overlooking Morata when he selected the Spanish World Cup team.
The Blues want to recoup their money and then some by selling Morata. The club is seeking £70m for Morata and hope an Italian or Spanish side will pay up.
It has been claimed that Morata’s agent will meet with Chelsea’s hierarchy next week to work out his departure. Currently, Juventus are the only club rumoured as a possible destination. Yet, the Bianconeri may not be in need of adding the player to the team.
Chelsea are still linked to Italian manager Maurizio Sarri as a replacement for Conte. Yet, the deal is still not confirmed. Sarri could want Morata to remain at the club, but it looks likely Chelsea’s hierarchy will take responsibility for all transfers this summer.
If Morata does leave, the Blues would have just Olivier Giroud and the returning Michy Batshuayi as the club’s senior strikers. Batshuayi has been linked with a move as well after a successful loan at Borussia Dortmund. The German club wants to sign the striker on a permanent basis.
Should Chelsea cut their losses with Alvaro Morata or keep him for another season?
