Chelsea to Pursue Real Madrid's Álvaro Morata
Chelsea were left reeling when Manchester United hijacked their attempt to sign Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. But the Blues will get the chance to make up for it by signing one of the top goal scorers in Spain.
According to Charlie Wyett of The Sun, Chelsea have now turned their attention to Real Madrid's Álvaro Morata and they are reportedly planning to lodge a £62-million bid for the Spanish striker.
With Diego Costa likely on the move this summer, the Blues will have to find a suitable replacement who can score goals in bunches. Morata seems perfect for the club, but Wyett says that Real Madrid are probably going to turn down the offer because they are in a strong negotiating position with Chelsea desperate for a frontman.
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Apparently, Real Madrid still want to keep Morata despite his willingness to move to the Premier League this summer. The Spanish footballer was linked with a move to United before they signed Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Diario Madridista claims that Chelsea's chances of signing Morata are slim right now with Real Madrid confident they can retain the striker.
"It is said that Zinedine Zidane will talk with the player when Real jet out to America for their pre-season tour this week and is hopeful they can agree on a plan going forward," Jack Otway wrote in his report for the Express.
"They were supposedly doubtful of keeping Morata when he was on United's radar but feel that, in the wake of that snub, they can retain the Spain star for another year," he added.
Chelsea could be in trouble if they miss out on Morata, but the Daily Star has reported that Costa may be willing to throw them a lifeline and rejoin the club. That's one option the Blues should consider if they fail to sign a goal scorer this summer.
