Manchester United are reportedly in talks to sign Spanish international Alvaro Morata, valued at €35 million by Atletico Madrid.
According to The Athletic, Manchester United are in talks to sign Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid as they continue their hunt for a new striker. The Red Devils are now desperately looking to sign a centre-forward before the ongoing transfer window slams shut.
Erik ten Hag had made signing a striker in the ongoing transfer window a top priority following the departure of Edinson Cavani. Anthony Martial was reportedly on his way out of Manchester United too, but the French international returned to form in the pre-season, forcing ten Hag to include him in his plans for the 2022/23 season.
However, Martial suffered a hamstring injury just before the start of the season, forcing the Manchester United boss to play Christian Eriksen up front, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench. The Portuguese international has been wanting to depart from Old Trafford all summer in search of UEFA Champions League football but has not been able to find a club that would take him readily.
This has left the Red Devils scampering to find a new striker before the summer transfer window slams shut. Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic was the first player to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, but the Manchester United fans pressurised the club into ditching a move for the Austrian striker due to his racist past.
Mauro Icardi has also been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford, along with former Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but the Manchester United board see the pair as players with ‘excessive baggage’. Therefore, they have turned their attention towards Alvaro Morata, who has returned to Atletico Madrid following a two-year loan spell at Juventus.
The Red Devils view the Spanish international as a ‘genuine possibility’ and are currently in talks with his entourage over a summer move. While the striker is not prolific per se, he does a lot of work with his back to the goal, allowing the wide players to come into the game. And Morata will not cost a bomb either, with Atletico Madrid demanding €35 million for him.
It remains to be seen whether a move for the Spaniard materialises in the coming weeks. Manchester United might have no option but to pursue a move for Morata in the next few days, and they might well be open to shelling out €35 million for him.
