What’s the story?
Chelsea have agreed a fee of £63 million for Alvaro Morata according to reports in Spain. Real Madrid held several meetings with the Premier League leaders and tried to increase the price, but the player was pushing for the move, and so the price fell comprehensively.
Manchester United and AC Milan were also keen on signing the striker, but the Spaniard is keen on working under Antonio Conte and has reportedly forced a move to the London club. The deal is set to be finalised in the coming weeks according to the same report.
In case you didn’t know...
Diego Costa is on the verge of leaving Chelsea. The striker has already agreed personal terms with Tianjin Quanjian, according to reports, and now the Chinese club have made a bid of €90 million for him.
Costa wanted to leave Chelsea and rejoin Atletico Madrid last summer, but the Spanish side didn't wait long enough for the striker to push for the move. They went on to sign Kevin Gameiro instead.
Similarly, Chelsea were keen on signing Morata last summer. Madrid had just bought him back from Juventus and were reluctant to let go of him. The fee reportedly offered by The Blues' that was said to be £70 million.
The heart of the matter
Morata has not got the chances he wanted at Madrid under Zidane and has informed the club that he wants to leave in the summer. The club have agreed to sell him and have now finally agreed with a deal with Chelsea.
Before agreeing on a deal with Chelsea, they tried to use him in deals to get Eden Hazard and David De Gea. Chelsea and Manchester United rebuffed the swap deals, and that left Madrid frustrated.
However, they have decided to listen to the player and let him join Chelsea in the summer. The striker has reportedly already agreed personal terms with Chelsea, and his girlfriend has found a house for them in London.
What’s next?
Chelsea and Real Madrid finalise the deal in the coming weeks, but the announcement will only take place once the transfer opens. Before this move is completed, the Premier League side will close the deal with Tianjin Quanjian for Costa as soon as possible. Real Madrid, on the other hand, are trying to sign Paulo Dybala, Kylian Mbappe and/or Andrea Belotti to replace Morata in the squad.
Author’s Take
Replacing Diego Costa with Alvaro Morata is a bold step. However, only time will tell if the Real Madrid star will be as good as the current Chelsea striker.
