Reports: Barcelona consider a loan move for former Real Madrid star

What's the story?

According to Sport, Barcelona has prepared a shortlist of strikers to buy if they decide to bolster that department in the January transfer window. Chelsea's Alvaro Morata is one of the names on the list.

The LaLiga champions are aware that the Spaniard could be allowed to leave on loan and have inquired about Morata's situation at Stamford Bridge, though they are yet to make a formal offer to Chelsea.

In case you didn't know...

Since his exit from Real Madrid in 2017, Morata has failed to come up to scratch at Chelsea despite a promising start. So far, he has only scored 24 goals in 72 matches for the Blues.

In consequence, he is looking for a move away from Chelsea and several clubs have expressed interest in landing him, including the likes of Atlético Madrid, Sevilla and Bayern Munich.

The heart of the matter...

At present, Luis Suarez is the only striker at Valverde's disposal who can lead the line for Barca's star-studded squad. The Uruguayan has experienced a number of injury issues of late and will be turning 32 later this month.

The Catalan giants are actively scouting the transfer market for his able backup and Morata appears to fit the bill. However, the move will only materialize if Denis Suarez, who has been linked with Arsenal, and Munir, who is close to joining Sevilla, are offloaded.

The Spanish outlet understands that their departures will help Barca fund the move for Morata and will also free up space on the wage bill.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old wantaway forward is looking for a temporary move this month with a permanent move in the summer.

Rumour rating: 5/10

Nothing concrete has been reported thus far, but La Blaugrana's move for Morata is understandable. He would prove to be an excellent addition as backup to Luis Suarez and considering his current form, the ex-Juventus ace can be secured on the cheap.