Alvaro Morata is fantastic compensation after Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku failure
Chelsea were embarrassed in their chase of Romelu Lukaku, but they haven’t lost out that much after announcing a deal for Alvaro Morata.
In the end, who needs Romelu Lukaku? After Manchester United swooped in and stole him in grandiose fashion, Chelsea fans were left lamenting their club’s lack of urgency. However, Blues officials have now delivered by revealing that a deal for Alvaro Morata is all but done.
The club announced that the terms for a deal had been agreed, pending medical and personal terms, on Wednesday.
"Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid have agreed terms for the transfer of Alvaro Morata to Stamford Bridge.The move is now subject to him agreeing personal terms and passing a medical."
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
Rumours indicate that the fee is in the region of £70 million, about the same amount the club were planning to splash on Lukaku.
The Blues have been desperately searching for a striker. Diego Costa revealed that he had been informed he was surplus to requirements. He has since been partying in an Atletico Madrid shirt while pre-season preparations have got underway.
Since Lukaku made the United switch, Chelsea have been on the tails of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Morata. Fans were getting agitated by the repeated reports of imminent deals, but the lack of an official announcement. Now, Morata has been all but confirmed and the club can look forward to an exciting campaign.
Morata is a wonderfully talented player who was under-utilised at Real Madrid. After two modest seasons with Juventus, Real exercised their buy-back option. The Spaniard then scored 15 goals in 26 La Liga games, even though 12 appearances were from the bench.
The 24-year-old showed that he could be world-class if afforded appropriate trust and game time. At Stamford Bridge, he will receive just that.
Morata will arrive and immediately be Conte’s starting striker. With a supporting cast of Eden Hazard and Pedro, to name but a few, Morata will have the opportunity to take the Premier League by storm.
Lukaku would have been a fantastic signing for the club, but Morata is an equally exciting one. His style of play differs from the Belgian and some may even argue it’s a better fit for a pacey, dynamic Chelsea attack.
Next: Chelsea’s youth academy falling short of rivals and potential after 10 years
The Spaniard is exactly the calibre of player that can lift the Blues. Having tasted European success, he will only aid the club in their quest for Champions League glory. Chelsea needed a marquee signing to spearhead their attack. While it’s not Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata is not a bad consolation prize.