Chelsea line up Costa compatriot as potential replacement

Chelsea are thought to be preparing for life after Diego Costa and according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial they will move for his international teammate Alvaro Morata in the summer.

Antonio Conte is believed to be a big fan of the 24-year old, whom he monitored closely during a two-year spell with his former employers Juventus. With Costa’s future still thought to be somewhat up in the air, the Italian isn’t keen to leave anything to chance and could move for Morata regardless.

The Real Madrid striker is known to be frustrated at a lack of playing time at the club this season and is keen to establish himself as Spain’s first choice striker ahead of Costa before the World Cup. He’ll likely need more minutes to do so, however, which has seen Morata linked with a number of top teams in Europe.

The reports in Spain suggest that Chelsea are keen to jump to the front of the queue and hand the front man a lifeline, given that he has started just 11 league matches all season. With such limited playing time he’s shown his quality to rack up 12 goals in Spain’s top tier, with a further three in the Champions League.

Indeed, the Roja international has scored more often than any teammate in La Liga this season, averaging a goal every 88.2 minutes.