Chelsea could face battle to keep Morata
Juventus want forward back, say reports in Italy Team-mates concerned about Spaniard’s mood
Chelsea could face a battle to hang on to record signing Alvaro Morata this summer, with Juventus reportedly interested in taking the striker back to Turin.
Morata is being lined up as a summer transfer target for Juventus, where he spent two seasons, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
That would present Chelsea with a dilemma over the 25-year-old, who has made no secret of his fondness for Juventus and life in Italy, amid concerns over how he has settled into English football.
Morata has cut a frustrated figure for much of his first season at Chelsea, having signed from Real Madrid for £57million. Even when he has been scoring goals, the Spaniard has been upset by the physical approach of Premier League defenders.
Despite insisting he is happy at Chelsea, Morata’s downbeat demeanour around the training ground has sparked fears among his team-mates that he would prefer to return to Spain or Italy, with his World Cup place in doubt having been left out of his national side’s squad for the friendlies against Germany and Argentina.
Chelsea are confident Morata will enjoy a better second season at the club and believe any difficulties he has experienced are normal for a player who is adapting to a new country. However, a big bid from Juventus would leave Chelsea with a decision to make should Morata make it clear that he would like to go back to Turin.
During two seasons at Juventus, Morata scored 27 goals and, earlier this season, admitted he would never have left Turin had Real not exercised their buy-back clause.
“The disappointment [of leaving Juventus] was enormous, I found myself back to the starting point,” he said. “They [Real Madrid] treated me like the guy I was before the two Italian seasons. Italy, for a Spaniard, is the best country to live in. You have everything: beauty, history, art, cooking and fashion. I would never have left Italy and Juventus.”
Juventus are planning a summer overhaul of their squad, with Mario Mandzukic expected to leave to free up space for a new forward.
Another Chelsea player attracting interest from elsewhere is the Brazilian winger Kenedy, who is on loan at Newcastle United.
The 22-year-old’s form has sparked interest from a number of clubs both in the Premier League and from Europe. His representatives claim Bayern Munich and Paris St-germain are among those watching Kenedy’s situation.
Kenedy joined Chelsea from Fluminense for £6million in 2015, but almost ended his Chelsea career last summer when he was forced to apologise for offensive social media posts during the pre-season tour of China.