Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined Barcelona in the race to sign Alvaro Morata this month.
According to a report by Spanish outlet COPE, Barcelona will need to fend off competition from two Premier League clubs to secure the services of Alvaro Morata before the January transfer window shuts. The 29-year-old Spanish striker has emerged as a target for Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Alvaro Morata has been a journeyman in his senior-level club career, representing five clubs in the last nine years. His longest stint at any club has been two years, during his first spell with Juventus from 2014-2016. And the Spanish international is currently in his second spell at the Serie A club after rejoining them on loan from Atletico Madrid in September 2020.
But Morata’s current spell with Juventus has been largely forgettable, as he has struggled to deliver the goods consistently. In the ongoing campaign, the 29-year-old has a record of eight goals and five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions. And his place in the side could be under threat following Dusan Vlahovic’s arrival from Fiorentina.
The Spanish striker could thus cut short his loan stint with Juventus to return to Atletico Madrid before joining another club this month. And three clubs are trying to complete a late move for Morata, with Barcelona, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur hot on his trail.
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The Catalan giants have been chasing Morata throughout January, albeit without much success coming their way. Barcelona even ceased pursuing the 29-year-old Spanish international before reigniting talks over a late move.
But rivals Atletico Madrid are posing obstacles to Barcelona and will only let Morata join the Blaugrana if they are willing to sign him permanently. On the other hand, the reigning La Liga champions have no qualms loaning the player out to the two Premier League clubs, Newcastle United and Tottenham.
The Magpies have already signed one striker this month in Chris Wood but remain keen on adding another centre-forward to their squad. To that end, several players, including Eddie Nketiah, have been linked with Newcastle, with Morata emerging as their latest target.
As for Tottenham, while Harry Kane has rediscovered his lost form to a large extent, Antonio Conte still prefers adding another attacking option amid the uncertainties surrounding Steven Bergwijn. As a result, several attackers, including Dejan Kulusevski, have emerged on Tottenham’s radar, with Morata a player Conte knows well from his time as the Chelsea manager.
Atletico Madrid’s stance on loaning Morata to a Premier League club leaves Newcastle United and Tottenham as the front-runners in the race to sign the 29-year-old Spanish striker. Barcelona might have to set sights on an alternative. But with time running out in the January transfer window, it looks like there might not be any further attacking additions to their first-team squad other than Adama Traore.
