Álvaro Morata

[LAM09 7,043]

Morata-Chelsea enter race for £40m Juventus striker once signed by Antonio Conte - report

According to Sky Italia journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have entered the race to acquire Spanish international striker Álvaro Morata.

The 23-year-old has been with Serie A serial champions Juventus since the summer of 2014, arriving from Real Madrid for €20 million, but with the Spanish club having an option to buy him back for €30 million. Morata was one of incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's transfer targets when the Italian was at helm in Turin, but Conte resigned from the team (to eventually take charge of the national team) four days before Morata's arrival.

An earlier report from Romano in the Guardian indicates that Real plan to activate the clause to then sell Morata to the highest bidder among the clubs interested. Along with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on Morata, with the latter already in talks with his agent. Morata's going rate is supposedly around £40 million.This season, Morata made 46 appearances across all competitions for Juventus, starting 26.  Playing mostly as a centre forward alongside Argentinian starlet Paulo Dybala, Morata scored 11 goals and made 9 assists.

Morata is certainly a talented striker, though not one to lead the line as a pure #9 lone forward such as his national team colleague Diego Costa. Morata's acquisition could mean a departure for Costa, or a shift away from the one-striker formations of the past decade, since we surely wouldn't shell out £40 million and above on a mere back-up for a position we already have well covered.Or would we? It could be something; it could be nothing. In Silly Season, you can never be too sure.

weaintgotnohistory.com

 

Doesn't fit our need IMO. The price tag should be a put off to start with

[Billy. 2,742]

Chelsea are seriously interested in signing Alvaro Morata who would cost €50m. #CFC #Juventus (calciomercato)

[!Hazard! 3,394]

Better than Lukaku for sure. He also has scored very important goals at a crucial times which always a sign of a good player.

[kiwi1691 255]

11 hours ago, Billy. said:

Chelsea are seriously interested in signing Alvaro Morata who would cost €50m. #CFC #Juventus (calciomercato)

If the club is going to spend big on a striker a player like Morata is a better option than Lukaku

[Topico 165]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srNYs6KYfhY

[joaosoares 12]

He's a great player but if we sign him we shall change the scheme to either a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 or sell Costa.

[nyikolajevics 2,690]

Seriously why is he so highly rated? 11 goas in 52 matches at Real Madrid, 27 goals in 93 matches for Juve.

 

Of course he is very talented and he often plays good in big matches but he just doesn't score enough and he is 24..

[Spike 12,049]

4 minutes ago, nyikolajevics said:

Seriously why is he so highly rated? 11 goas in 52 matches at Real Madrid, 27 goals in 93 matches for Juve.

 

Of course he is very talented and he often plays good in big matches but he just doesn't score enough and he is 24..

 

It's not always about sheer numbers or what is palpable on a spreadsheet. Brevity of goals scored, movement, vision, intelligence is often difficult to quantify and express through numbers and data. From what I've seen Alvaro Morata is a forward with a physical presence, intelligent movement and the technical skill to utilise both feet and head. Maybe that isn't what you desire in a striker but be sure that he has qualities that managers lust for otherwise he'd never have been playing for Real Madrid or Juventus. 

[Pizy 18,852]

12 minutes ago, Spike said:

 

It's not always about sheer numbers or what is palpable on a spreadsheet. Brevity of goals scored, movement, vision, intelligence is often difficult to quantify and express through numbers and data. From what I've seen Alvaro Morata is a forward with a physical presence, intelligent movement and the technical skill to utilise both feet and head. Maybe that isn't what you desire in a striker but be sure that he has qualities that managers lust for otherwise he'd never have been playing for Real Madrid or Juventus. 

Spot on. This exactly why we should be after him. We need a striker that's actually a properly great footballer. Diego Costa is a brilliant goal scorer and is excellent off the ball, but he's admittedly quite limited technically.

Morata wouldn't need to score 20-25 goals to be considered a success.

[Spike 12,049]

1 minute ago, Pizy said:

Spot on. This exactly why we should be after him. We need a striker that's actually a properly great footballer. Diego Costa is a brilliant goal scorer and is excellent off the ball, but he's admittedly quite limited technically.

Morata wouldn't need to score 20-25 goals to be considered a success.

Well, it does look like we are seeing the rebirth of England's beloved 4-4-2. Football lives in cycles and it seems to me that we are witnessing the return of the 'big striker' 'little striker' dichotomy. Of course, strictly speaking I'm not just referring to their physical sizes.

[Pizy 18,852]

13 minutes ago, Spike said:

Well, it does look like we are seeing the rebirth of England's beloved 4-4-2. Football lives in cycles and it seems to me that we are witnessing the return of the 'big striker' 'little striker' dichotomy. Of course, strictly speaking I'm not just referring to their physical sizes.

Yeah, and PL defenses already struggle against just a single striker. Imagine if teams had to not only deal with Costa but also another highly mobile striker. Then they'd still have Hazard and Willian to worry about too.

Look at the problems Watford gave everyone including the big clubs like ourselves and Arsenal by playing two up top. Or West Ham at times. It can certainly be highly effective even in modern football.

[Spike 12,049]

30 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Yeah, and PL defenses already struggle against just a single striker. Imagine if teams had to not only deal with Costa but also another highly mobile striker. Then they'd still have Hazard and Willian to worry about too.

Look at the problems Watford gave everyone including the big clubs like ourselves and Arsenal by playing two up top. Or West Ham at times. It can certainly be highly effective even in modern football.

 

That is the thing. I believe 4-4-2 is modern football!

[Kieran. 6,317]

35 minutes ago, Spike said:

 

That is the thing. I believe 4-4-2 is modern football!

No doubt, football has evolved again and 4-4-2 is modern.

[Spike 12,049]

4 minutes ago, Kieran. said:

No doubt, football has evolved again and 4-4-2 is modern.

I cannot think of all the examples (perhaps you can help with that) but I know for a fact that Real Madrid and Atletico have both employed the 4-4-2 in the past two years. Even as Pizy said clubs like Watford and West Ham are enjoying the new found success with this approach. I could be wrong but I do believe that Max Allegri's Juventus are also fond of the 4-4-2. 

I find great joy in the irony of England's best chances lying in the 4-4-2. For years Three Lions managers struggled to let go of this tactic and now that everything has come full circle; England's once weakness could be a strength.

[Pizy 18,852]

9 minutes ago, Spike said:

I cannot think of all the examples (perhaps you can help with that) but I know for a fact that Real Madrid and Atletico have both employed the 4-4-2 in the past two years. Even as Pizy said clubs like Watford and West Ham are enjoying the new found success with this approach. I could be wrong but I do believe that Max Allegri's Juventus are also fond of the 4-4-2. 

I find great joy in the irony of England's best chances lying in the 4-4-2. For years Three Lions managers struggled to let go of this tactic and now that everything has come full circle; England's once weakness could be a strength.

Man City used it to great effect just before Pellegrini went there with Agüero, Dzeko, Negredo, etc. A more traditional #9 (Dzeko) paired with a supremely gifted and technical one in Agüero. 

Liverpool used Suarez and Sturridge very effectively together. Two technically gifted strikers can work too.