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What's the story?
Chelsea loanee Alvaro Morata has admitted that he did not feel 'loved and appreciated' at Stamford Bridge, and has pleaded with Atletico Madrid to put an end to his misery by making his loan deal permanent.
In case you didn't know...
Morata left Real Madrid to sign for Chelsea in 2017 but failed to prove his £57 million price tag to the Blues faithful, having scored 24 goals in the course of his one-and-a-half year stint with the West London outfit.
The Spaniard won the FA Cup with the Blues before making a loan move to Atletico Madrid, who have the option to make the deal permanent if they wish to.
The 26-year-old has so far made 17 appearances for the Spanish giants, during which he scored six goals.
The heart of the matter
Morata has claimed that he does not feel valued at Stamford Bridge and revealed that missing out on his World Cup dream was heart-wrenching for him.
The former Los Blancos striker remarked, "I had lost confidence in myself previously. I was very upset by the opinion of the people in England. I think they caught me in the middle of everything."
"I didn't quite feel loved or appreciated by the club or the fans. I started very well at Chelsea, but an injury in the end leaves you a bit stuck."
"As bad as it was, I still scored 15 goals and won the FA Cup... but I was out of the World Cup, and for me that was the hardest thing that could happen to me in my life."
"I’ve dreamed of being able to play in a World Cup since I was 10 years old, and I chose Chelsea because I thought it would be the best club to later be able to play in the World Cup."
The Spain international has now pleaded with Atletico Madrid to extend his stay at the Wanda Metropolitano, stating that his decision to sign for them was the best thing to happen to him.
"Now, signing for Atletico has been the best thing that could happen to me in my life."
"I think in the end it was destiny [moving back to Atletico]. I left Atletico, and every so often I had the opportunity to return, although not so often when I was younger. When you have a bad time in a place, you don't have that chance often [to return]."
He added, "I have said it many times: there is a moment in which there are things that surpass fame, money and everything. Thank God, at Atletico I've been able to have a bit of all of this, but I would love to be here every year that I'm able to play at the highest level."
"I want to stay at Atletico but, contractually, Chelsea can call me back. We will see what happens in the negotiations between them, but the two clubs already know what I want. I only ask, please, as I said to Atletico, do everything possible to do it as soon as possible. Because I just want to be here."
What's next?
Whether Atletico Madrid decide to permanently sign Morata remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Spain are scheduled to face Faroe Islands in their third Euro 2020 qualifier on Friday.
