Atletico Madrid are the latest sign to express an interest in signing Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata this month, claims Spanish outlet AS.
Morata is free to leave Chelsea after a hugely disappointing 18 months at the club but Maurizio Sarri’s side will only sanction his departure if they can sign a replacement.
Chelsea manager Sarri is desperate to reunite with former Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain but the deal is hugely complex due to the fact the Juventus forward is currently on loan at AC Milan.
It was thought that Morata would be used as a bargaining chip in a deal to get Higuain but it now seems his future will be in his native Spain.
Morata’s agent is due for talks with Chelsea about a potential loan move to Sevilla, but Atletico have now positioned themselves in the race for his signature.
Diego Simeone is keen to bolster his offensive options given Diego Costa’s fitness struggles but a potential move for Morata comes as a surprise.
Morata’s mental strength has been heavily questioned since he joined Chelsea from Real Madrid and that would only be put under the microscope further under the intense demands of Simeone.
Atletico would reportedly also be required to sell two players in order to accommodate Morata’s wages, while Barcelona is another destination touted for the Spain international given Munir is set to leave the club after rejecting a new deal.
Morata has scored 16 goals in 47 Premier League appearances for Chelsea since the beginning of last season. In that time, only Harry Kane (8) has scored more headers than Morata (7) in the division.
