Barcelona have reportedly ended their interest in Alvaro Morata, with the 29-year-old Spanish striker staying put at Camp Nou for the rest of the season.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the brakes have been slammed on Barcelona’s pursuit of Alvaro Morata. The 29-year-old Spanish striker will be at Juventus for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign, with Barcelona unlikely to sign a striker this month as things stand.
Alvaro Morata is currently in his second stint with Juventus, returning to the Serie A club in September 2020 from Atletico Madrid on a two-season loan deal. After largely playing second-fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo last season, the Spaniard has struggled to take on the mantle of the leading goalscorer for the Bianconeri.
Morata has a paltry tally of seven goals and five assists in 26 appearances across all competitions. But despite blowing hot and cold, the 29-year-old striker remains a player coveted by European bigwigs, with Barcelona emerging in his pursuit in recent weeks.
The Catalan giants have been forced to dip their toes in the transfer market this month following Sergio Aguero’s premature retirement. The Argentine legend has had to hang up his boots due to a heart ailment that prevents him from entering the field again.
Aguero’s retirement leaves Xavi Hernandez with Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong as the only natural strikers at his disposal. With neither player being a reliable customer in the final third, the Barcelona boss is keen on reinforcing his attacking options this month by signing a centre-forward.
Morata had thus emerged as a key target for Barcelona, with personal terms a mere formality. And although La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid were initially reluctant to transfer the loan deal to them, widespread reports claimed that Barcelona had a strong chance of snapping him up.
But Juventus put up a stumbling block for Barcelona in the last few days, with Massimiliano Allegri reluctant to let the 29-year-old leave. The Catalan giants have cooled their interest in the Spanish striker as a result, deeming the operation to be too complicated for their liking, especially because he is not a long-term option for them. A January acquisition of a striker thus appears unlikely for Barcelona, with Morata staying put at Juventus.
