"Would be something different" - Noel Whelan says ex-Chelsea star with 'dangerous presence' could thrive at Arsenal

Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan.
Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes a move to Arsenal could suit former Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata.

Morata signed for the Blues from Real Madrid in a deal worth around £70 million back in the summer of 2017. He spent just one-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge and struggled to perform consistently, scoring just 24 times in 72 matches across competitions.

The Spaniard was eventually shipped out to Atletico Madrid, first on loan and then on a permanent transfer. A return to Spain hasn't worked out well either, with Morata spending the last two seasons on loan at Juventus. As per Sport, the Gunners are interested in signing Morata ahead of next season.

Regardless of his poor returns over the last few seasons, Whelan believes the 29-year-old would be a good signing for the Gunners. He told Football Insider:

“I think Arsenal would suit Morata, absolutely. He ended up being a bit of a flop at Chelsea, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. He definitely still has a really dangerous presence.”

The one-time FA Youth Cup winner believes that Morata could benefit from the creative abilities of the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. He added:

“He’s got the stature that Arsenal need from a traditional number nine, he just needs the service. I think he’d certainly get a lot of chances with the talent Arsenal have – Saka, Odegaard, [Emile] Smith Rowe.”

Whelan concluded:

“He would be something different that Arsenal haven’t had for a long time. I can see it working out well if they can convince him to come.”

Could ex-Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata be the answer to Arsenal's struggles in attack?

Mikel Arteta's side desperately need to reinforce their forward line this summer. The club scored only 61 times in 38 Premier League matches last season, with no player hitting even the 15-goal mark in all competitions.

The Gunners are likely to lose Alexandre Lacazette on a free transfer this summer, which could leave them short of options up front. The Gunners have been linked with Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus but there have been no concrete developments on the move.

Morata, while an able goalscorer on his day, has been quite inconsistent. The former Chelsea man scored only 12 times in 48 matches across all competitions for Juventus last season. However, he did find the back of the net 20 times in 44 matches during the 2020-21 campaign.

The lack of consistent output will certainly be a factor that could prevent Morata from returning to England.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar