Chelsea’s club-record signing Alvaro Morata has explained why he chose the Blues over other high-profile clubs such as Manchester United this summer.
The Spanish international striker was strongly linked with a number of clubs throughout the transfer window, including former manager Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils, but the 24-year-old ultimately decided to head to west London and sign for the reigning Premier League champions.
The prolific goalscorer has explained that his decision was ultimately swayed by the opportunity to work with Blues boss Antonio Conte once again, having briefly played under the charismatic Italian before during his tenure at Serie A side Juventus.
‘Indebted’ to Conte
“I spoke with Conte several times, and not only this summer,” the Chelsea number nine told the press earlier today, ahead of his side’s London derby with Arsenal tomorrow. “I felt indebted to him. He signed me for Juventus but left very quickly to manage Italy. I always wanted to play for him after that.
“It was only two months with him but it felt like I’d known him forever. When I knew he wanted me this summer, I didn’t think twice. I did everything I could to make the move happen.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H7qMo4yJCo
Morata ‘couldn’t stay to be a sub’
Meanwhile, the Spaniard admitted that Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane’s failure to assure him of regular starts at the Bernabeu prompted his decision to seek a move away from his home country. “I couldn’t stay to be a substitute,” he insisted, adding that his World Cup 2018 prospects heavily depend on his ability to start games, and ultimately, score goals.
Morata has certainly put himself in a strong position in his short time at Stamford Bridge so far, firing home three Premier League goals – and setting up two more – in a trio of appearances for Chelsea.
Header image: “Chelsea FC’s Alvaro Morata celebrates” by Brian Minkoff (CC BY-SA 4.0)
