It looks like Manchester United are on course to sign Alvaro Morata.
Morata has agreed to join the club from Real Madrid, according to the Daily Telegraph. United still have to agree a fee with the Spanish club, but the player is reportedly determined to move to Old Trafford, and is said to have agreed personal terms.
United now have to negotiate a transfer fee with Real Madrid. The club reportedly bid £52.4m for the 24-year-old earlier this week, and are understood to be preparing a £60m bid.
They want a lot of money. An awful lot https://t.co/BLk9HSCbza
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) June 7, 2017
Reports suggested that Madrid want £78m for him, so it remains to be seen if the parties can reach a compromise.
If Morata does arrive at Old Trafford this summer, he will act as a direct replacement for the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who’s contract with the club just expired.
The Spanish striker will also be familiar with Mourinho’s methods. The pair worked together at Real, and Mourinho gave Morata his first-team debut back in 2010.
Morata is 6’1, an athletic striker, capable of holding the ball up, linking play and with the pace to get away from defenders. He’s also a hard worker and has a reputation for being a big game player. In other words, he’s the type of player Mourinho loves.
The striker scored 20 goals in 43 appearances last season. However, he only made 14 league starts. That lack of playing time is said to be a key motivating factor for Morata wanting to leave Madrid for a second time. He played for Juventus between 2014 and 2016, and was brought back to the Bernabeu for €30m last summer.
The pursuit of Morata appears to signal the end of any speculation linking United with Romelu Lukaku, with the Everton striker expected to re-join Chelsea.
