“Madrid is my team and my city,” declared Alvaro Morata after the Champions League final in June. But apparently, he has had a change of heart and now wants to leave Real Madrid this summer. He is all set to depart to Old Trafford if reports are to be believed (it’s natural to doubt, given that it’s a Manchester United transfer rumour).
It’s not clear whether David De Gea will be in the mix for such a deal. Early reports seem to suggest that Zinedine Zidane has thrown his weight behind Keylor Navas after his end of season heroics. But it looks like the two clubs have reached an understanding and are only ironing out the transfer fee for the forward.
It is understandable why Morata feels hard done by the lack of minutes this season and wants to move to a team where he will be the main man. The upcoming World Cup is also a factor, and he wants to cement his place in the Spanish national team by getting more minutes under his belt.
Manchester United will welcome him with open arms. Their struggle for quality strikers is well known and he is the perfect long-term replacement for the departing Zlatan Ibrahimovic. United struggled all season with their finishing and in Morata, they will get a striker who is young, shrewd, physically strong, fast, mature and very efficient in creating/converting half-chances.
While it is a perfect deal for United, Madrid are the real losers here. And here is why.
Morata is Madrid’s man for the future, not Benzema
Morata was Madrid’s second highest goal-scorer in all competitions last season with 20 goals, second just to Ronaldo, yet he only started in all of 18 games. His goal to minutes played ratio was far superior to Benzema, almost twice as good.
Yet, he was never a part of Zidane’s ‘A-team’, his ideal 11. He was left out of the more crucial clashes, only getting a chance when Benzema was injured or substituted later in the second half. While Isco and Asensio made inroads in the latter part of the season, Morata was mostly a spectator. And the frustration showed in some of the mixed zone interviews. Here is a comparioson of the two strikers’ stats this season (includes La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey and Club World Cup)
| Alvaro Morata | Karim Benzema | |
|---|---|---|
| Games started | 18 | 38 |
| Substitute | 24 | 9 |
| Total appearances | 42 | 47 |
| Minutes played | 1,815 | 3,180 |
| Goals | 20 | 19 |
| Assists | 6 | 6 |
| Goals per minute played | 0.0110 | 0.0060 |
While Zidane was on the money with most of his decisions, this was one he always struggled to justify, so much so that he was accused of favouritism. Barring a few sparks of brilliance from Benzema (that famous semi-final second leg at the Calderon springs to mind), there is no doubt that Morata was more effective than him last season.
The Bernabeu crowd echoed the sentiment, whistling Benzema on multiple occasions, while cheering for Morata. Him being Spanish may create a bias, but the most important factors for all Madridistas are performance and effort, and Morata comprehensively beat Benzema to that last season. Take a look at his performaces below and judge for yourself:
Some may argue that Benzema is more of a playmaker for Ronaldo and Bale and links the forward line seamlessly. He is more adept at running into vacant spaces depending on the positioning of his fellow forwards, particularly Ronaldo. Benzema also has more experience on the big stage and better understanding with his fellow BBC members. And there is some merit in that argument.
But it has never been Real Madrid’s philosophy to rest on past laurels and they need to plan for the future.
Morata is the future, and the present. He is 24, Benzema is 29. Also, Benzema gets injured a lot and takes longer to recover, as admitted by Zidane himself. It was a different story when Real Madrid let Higuain go in 2013 so as to not have competition for the striker position – both Benzema and Higuain were the same age and Benzema was more of a big match player.
Also read: What to make of Manchester United's £80 million bid for Alvaro Morata
The same logic cannot be applied here. Morata has shown grit, determination, passion, sense of ownership and the ‘never say die’ spirit which is so synonymous with Madridismo.
This does not mean that they should let Benzema go. To win major titles over a long injury-prone season, a team needs two world-class strikers. Real Madrid have no reason to let either of them go this season.
Morata is a true Madridista, Real Madrid is in his heart
Morata cried at his presentation at the start of the season, saying he has come back home. He cried during the La Liga victory celebration at the Cibeles, at the realisation that he may have to leave his home again. A Castilla player, he has played for years with other academy players in the Madrid squad. His touch-line reactions to crucial goals demonstrate his sentiments for the Madrid badge. The passion he shows has shades of Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe, Ronaldo and Iker Casillas.
Some may argue that sentiments don’t matter, that these are professional football players who are paid a fortune to perform at high levels. But there is a reason academy players have a special connection with their teams and have their values ingrained in them. Why they give their heart and soul for the team, more than just their desire to win as a football player.
The likes of Iker Casillas, Ryan Giggs, Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres prove that point. The only other way to establish that connection is if a club has been your boyhood dream, like Real Madrid was for Cristiano Ronaldo. It takes time for other players to build that kind of association, and there is no guarantee for it to ever happen at all. And it could as easily be transferred to another club.
However, in Morata, Madrid have a player who will give his all for the team for many years to come, provided they treat him right.
The argument of ‘Madrid always find a way, a better option’ does not apply here
How many quality strikers are there in the world right now? Try counting, you can do it on your fingers. While players in all positions are crucial, forwards are probably the most important ones, as much as the goalkeeper.
Look at the teams that have won Champions Leagues/International tournaments, most will boast a formidable and daunting forward line. Ultimately, it’s finishing in front of the goal that wins you matches. And there are very few quality alternatives for Morata in that regard – ones who will be available to Madrid this season.
Griezmann is staying put at Atletico. Chelsea will probably find a way to keep Hazard. Lewandowski may be a bit miffed with Ancelotti but I doubt he will leave Munich over it. Suarez is off limits. Real Madrid do not seem too keen on Aubameyang, as per last reports.
The only other player left is Kylian Mbappe – he may be sensational this season but he will cost a bomb, and it’s questionable whether such an atrocious sum should be paid for him. Plus, he will take time to mature; he is only 18 and hasn’t even played one full season of first team football.
Morata has matured over many seasons in two of the biggest clubs in world football and can be pivotal for Real Madrid for the next 6-8 years.
Real Madrid have managed to progress in recent years even after multiple quality departures like Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso, Higuain. But there were always replacements available for them in the form of Luka Modric, Isco, and Toni Kroos. And none were as complete a package as Morata is.
It’s bizarre that Zidane hasn’t tried to work his charm on the 24-year-old to keep him. While it is Madrid's policy to not keep any player against his will, one almost gets the feeling they are not trying hard enough in this case. Well, it’s their loss, and a massive boost for Mourinho’s side, unless they are getting De Gea in return, in which case it’s a whole new debate for another time.
