Alvaro Morata is being pursued by Manchester United and other top European clubs (Image: Oliver Hardt/UEFA)
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag wants to add more firepower to his team in the winter window – and Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has emerged as a target
Alvaro Morata’s agent has reportedly held talks with Manchester United about a possible summer transfer, according to reports. The Red Devils are looking to add attacking reinforcements this summer, as Erik ten Hag wants to relieve Rasmus Hojlund of some of the goal-scoring pressure after the young Danish striker struggled in his first Premier League season last year. However, United has a net transfer budget of just £50 million, and Ten Hag also wants to bolster midfield and defence. With that in mind, it appears that the Dutchman and Old Trafford’s top brass are considering a low-cost move for Morata. Turkish outlet Sabah, via Sport Witness, reports that United have shown interest in the Atletico Madrid forward, who is available for just €12 million (£10.1
The article continues by stating that while clubs consider their alternatives in the market, United and other teams have even had discussions with the representation of the Spain international. Borussia Dortmund, AS Roma, Juventus, and Fenerbahce are the other teams said to have expressed interest in Morata.
Joshua Zirkzee has been strongly connected to Manchester United in recent weeks as they continue to search the market for a striker to back up Hojlund in 2019. Morata has Premier League experience from his time at Chelsea and is available for a reasonable sum.
Currently playing for Spain at Euro 2024, the 31-year-old formerly spent 18 months at Stamford Bridge, where he scored 24 goals in 72 games. Since then, he has played for Atletico Madrid in his home country of Spain and Juventus in Italy, where he scored 21 goals in the previous campaign.
Interestingly, Morata caught the attention of Manchester United before moving to Chelsea in 2017. But after fruitful discussions with then-Blues manager Antonio Conte, he emphasised that he was always going to choose Chelsea over any other teams.
Shortly after joining Chelsea, Morata made the following revelation to The Mail: “This summer, I received bids from multiple leagues in addition to Chelsea and Manchester United. For me, it was a favourable position.
“My best and most significant conversation to date was with Conte; he encouraged me to come to this place. I was unaware that Chelsea was considering me at the beginning of the summer. I believed that a different player was in for them.”
