Manchester United have reportedly contacted Real Madrid to seek the availability of Alvaro Morata in the summer.
Spanish publication Don Balon have reported that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has called Real Madrid president Florentino Perez over the possibility of signing Alvaro Morata in the summer transfer window.
Morata’s second coming at Real Madrid hasn’t been as fruitful as he perhaps would have envisioned it to be. Los Blancos exercised their buy-back option in Morata’s contract with Juventus to sign him back last summer, but the Spaniard has endured quite a frustrating time this season.
Often playing second fiddle to Karim Benzema, Morata has managed just 11 starts in La Liga for Real Madrid this season, even though his goalscoring record suggests that he deserves more inclusion. The 24-year-old has scored 12 goals in the opportunities afforded to him, which is 3 more than what Benzema has managed in 20 starts.
With Morata eager to get regular game time, it is believed that a summer exit from the Santiago Bernabeu could be on the cards for the Spain international. If that happens to be the case, Manchester United could be lying in the wings to make a move for him.
Jose Mourinho has a pressing need to acquire a striker for his squad with Zlatan Ibrahimovic sustaining a long-term knee injury last week. The latest reports suggest that the Swedish striker could be out for 8-9 months, effectively ruling him out for half of next season.
That leaves the Manchester United boss with just Marcus Rashford as his recognised option with Wayne Rooney also expected to leave the club at the end of the season. With Mourinho’s options running thin, a striker has become the need of the hour.
As a result, he has started scouting suitable strikers for his squad, with a view to signing at least one in the summer, and his search has led him to the doors of Real Madrid. Mourinho is believed to enjoy a good relationship with Florentino Perez, and has thus asked for the availability of Morata.
Morata still has his best years ahead of him, which could make him a long-term solution in attack for Manchester United. But, the Red Devils could face competition in terms of Chelsea, who have been heavily linked with a summer move for Morata.
With Diego Costa’s future at Stamford Bridge being uncertain, Antonio Conte is also in search of a striker with Morata being one of the options. The Spaniard has even admitted that he would like to play under the Chelsea boss once again some day.
So, by the latest reports, Manchester United and Chelsea are the two big parties involved in the race to sign Morata. And Mourinho would be hoping that his relationship with Perez will enable him to trump his former club, helping him land the Spaniard in the process.
