AC Milan could be lining up a deal in the summer for Alvaro Morata, with the underperforming Chelsea striker preparing to weigh options.
Alvaro Morata has been the subject of transfer speculation right after the Premier League season has ended. According to Sky Italy, the striker could be on the move again this summer, with AC Milan thought to be interested in bringing the Spaniard to the San Siro.
AC Milan are highly interested in bringing Morata back to the Serie A after an underwhelming season at Stamford Bridge. But there are suggestions that former club Juventus could also be simultaneously plotting a move for the striker. The report began with a photo of Morata, his agent Guiseppe Bozzo and Juventus director Fabio Paratici all together in Milan.
This could be an indication that Morata and his agent are angling a move back to Juventus, but the report also talks about the concrete interest from Milan. The San Siro outfit are convinced that they can land their man after they were persuaded to look for a top-class striker to boost their frontline ahead of the new season.
Morata would not come cheaply, as Chelsea themselves paid £60 million last summer to Real Madrid. Although some recent reports suggested, Juventus were looking for a deal at around £43 million for the striker. Given his performances this season, Chelsea might consider selling him and cut their losses on a player they expected so much from.
AC Milan, on the other hand, were embroiled in a battle with UEFA Financial Fair Play after some discrepancies with their spending last season. But the interest in Morata suggests the UEFA proceedings is the least of their concerns and are focusing on transfers like these more, to bring back glory to the San Siro.
Milan’s season began with disappointment, despite spending close to €200 million on new signings, including Leonardo Bonucci, Andre Silva and Nikola Kalinic. The attacking duo of Kalinic and Silva have failed miserably, with both of them scoring 16 goals between them all season in 81 games in all competitions – a sad return considering Milan paid more than €60 million in combined fees for the frontmen.
It is understood that AC Milan were initially trying to bring Ciro Immobile to the San Siro, but know the difficulty in that deal, considering Lazio are in the Champions League next season, while Milan plays in the Europa League. Immobile would also represent an expensive choice compared to Morata.
Milan are therefore interested in bringing Morata back to the Serie A and ending his Chelsea nightmare. Morata, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in a big-money move last summer, started explosively, scoring 8 goals in his first nine games at Chelsea, but faded off soon and finished the season behind January signing Olivier Giroud in the pecking order.
With Morata openly meeting up with a Juventus director and his agent claiming that he is keen to leave Chelsea, the deal depends on the price tag he will carry. AC Milan are understood to be ready to pay up significant fees, but cannot compete if Chelsea asks for more than they paid Madrid last summer, and so will be the case with Juventus, who will not pay over the odds.
