Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher does not believe that Alvaro Morata has a future at Chelsea.
The Spaniard arrived at Stamford Bridge from Real Madrid during the summer of 2017 and was expected to act as a direct replacement for Diego Costa. Many Blues fans expected that he would help propel the club towards winning major trophies as compatriot Costa did, but that has not happened.
Former manager Antonio Conte paid the price for the club’s results last term as he was sacked, despite having led the team to league glory during the season before.
Morata managed just 11 goals in the Premier League last season, which is a paltry return by Chelsea standards. Surprisingly, he managed to retain the first-choice striker role at the club this season after the London giants did not sign a striker last summer.
In spite of their recent defeats against Wolves and Tottenham, the Blues, for the most part, have been playing impressively under Maurizio Sarri. However, it is quite evident that the club will need to soon upgrade on their current striking options of Olivier Giroud and Morata if they want to start challenging for the Premier League and Champions League.
Commenting on Morata, Carragher wrote in The Telegraph: “As things stand, I find it hard to believe he has a future there. The notion that a player coming from outside the Premier League needs one season to settle in has always felt wrong to me – the best hit the ground running.
“Morata scored 15 last season as Chelsea’s then new record signing, one fewer goal across all competitions than Drogba did in his first season, but Morata has made much less impact. I can see he has great ability but he also strikes me as an opponent whom a good defender can dominate.”
“You can sense his belief slipping with every lost confrontation, and when he starts hitting the deck in challenges well away from the penalty area, then you really know his appetite is slipping. The reality is I do not think that Morata will ever click at Chelsea, and I am sure the club think that too. They have to be looking now for a new option next season.”
