What’s the story?
Real Madrid and Manchester United do not have a good relationship at all. From Sir Alex Ferguson trying to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona, to the De Gea transfer saga, things only got worse between the clubs.
The clubs have now opened negotiations for Alvaro Morata according to Marca. The striker is reportedly Jose Mourinho's #1 target for the summer after missing out on Antonie Griezmann.
Previously...
Manchester United were keen on signing Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid this summer. The striker was interested in joining them as well and rated the possibility of the transfer at 6/10 when asked in TV interview last month.
However, CAS upheld its decision to ban Atletico from making any new signings this summer. This made things complicated, and the striker decided that he did not want to move.
The clubs had reportedly agreed a £80 million deal, and the player too was 'in talks' with the club about personal terms. Some reports even suggested that he had chosen the #7 jersey at Old Trafford.
The heart of the matter
Alvaro Morata has confirmed that he is looking to leave Real Madrid in the summer. He wants to join a team where he can play regularly to boost his chances of making it to the Spain's World Cup squad.
Jose Mourinho is keen on signing a striker as Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been released after his knee injury. The Swedish striker is out until early 2018, and United decided not to keep him in their books.
Alvaro Morata, Romelu Lukaku and Kylian Mbappe were the top targets for Mourinho. The race for Mbappe has Real Madrid in the lead while Chelsea are close to securing the transfer of Lukaku.
Thus, Mourinho made Morata his #1 choice and has ordered Ed Woodward to sign him up at any cost. Chelsea are still in the race for Morata according to recent report while AC Milan are also said to be keen on the Madrid striker.
What’s next?
Real Madrid want £78 million for their prized asset while Manchester United are only willing to pay around £60 million. The clubs will now hold talks and negotiate a price.
Chelsea are expected to make a late swoop for the Spaniard should they agree a deal to sell Diego Costa. Antonio Conte wants to sign two strikers and is still keen on getting Morata.
Author’s Take
Manchester United will have to speed up things if they want to secure the signing of Morata. Chelsea are right on their back and will pay whatever it takes to land the striker if Antonio Conte demands the signings.
