Official: Alvaro Morata completes loan move to Atletico Madrid

Alvaro Morata has officially completed his switch from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid, who have signed him on an 18-month loan deal.

Atletico Madrid have made an official announcement to confirm that they have secured the services of Alvaro Morata. The former Real Madrid superstar has made his way from Chelsea to the La Liga giants on an 18-month loan deal that will see him through till the end of the 2019-20 season.

Alvaro Morata’s has been a curious case over his spells at Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea. While the Spaniard has flourished as a deputy to a star striker, he has been unable to lead the line for a club as its first-choice front-man.

?⚪? #WelcomeMorata!
Agreement with @ChelseaFC over the loan of @AlvaroMorata for the remainder of the current season and the next one.
FULL STORY ➡ https://t.co/KiMEnruwJk#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/vHYMUSv3Vp

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 28, 2019

The player was behind just Cristiano Ronaldo in his final season at Real Madrid, with 21 goals, despite the fact that he featured off the bench in most games. At Chelsea, however, the Spanish international has been unable to convince, having managed to score just 24 goals in 72 appearances in all competitions.

Things took a turn for the worse, with the player managing just nine goals in 24 outings for Chelsea, who sought an immediate cure to their striking woes, with Olivier Giroud misfiring as well. To that end, Gonzalo Higuain was signed on-loan from AC Milan, which effectively spelled the end of Morata at Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old had himself been keen on calling it quits at Chelsea as well, which had reportedly opened the doors to several clubs. Atletico Madrid, however, were believed to be the favourites to land Morata over the last week or so.

Los Rojiblancos have had problems of their own this season in attack, not too dissimilar to Chelsea. Like Eden Hazard at the Bridge, Antoine Griezmann is looked upon for inspiration on most occasions, with Diego Costa struggling for form in addition to dealing with injuries.

Others, apart from the Spanish international, have not fared any better, which made it imperative for Atletico Madrid to bolster attack this month. And, while Morata may have been a dubious target for some, considering his recent struggles as well as history with Real Madrid, a closer inspection would suggest he could well be a fine addition.

In his last season at Real Madrid, Morata had scored at a fine rate of 95 minutes per goal, and if he can reproduce those numbers, Atletico will have found a solution to their goalscoring woes. Fans have already voiced their displeasure over the player’s capture, although the 26-year-old effused excitement upon completing the move.

“I’m very happy and proud to be here. I can’t wait to start training, meet my new teammates and play.”

Morata, who previously spent four years at the club’s academy, has joined Los Colchoneros on an 18-month deal that will run through till the end of the 2019-20 season. He will now hope to bring about an end to his goalscoring woes and those of Atletico Madrid’s, and prove that his struggles at Chelsea were only a blip, while also aiming to win the fans over.