Arsenal explored a shock late move for Juventus striker Alvaro Morata – but he now finds himself shining alongside Dusan Vlahovic.
The Gunners spent most of January chasing a deal for Vlahovic but couldn’t convince him to leave Fiorentina for North London.
Juventus swooped in and signed Vlahovic in a big-money move, and Arsenal ended January without signing a striker.
Arsenal did actually look into signing a Juventus striker though, seemingly looking to take advantage of Vlahovic’s move.
The Times reported on deadline day that Alvaro Morata was keen on a move to Arsenal on an 18-month loan deal.
Morata’s parent club Atletico Madrid wanted a mandatory purchase clause in the deal though, and Arsenal decided to back away.
Morata isn’t exactly well-regarded in English football having struggled to make an impact with Chelsea.
In fact, Morata has been consistently mocked over the course of his career, with his finishing ability often deserting him.
Many other parts of Morata’s game are very good though, and that’s why he continues to land big moves.
With Vlahovic on board at Juventus, Morata has been utilised on the left flank, with Vlahovic in the middle and Dybala on the right.
That’s a surprise turn of events for Morata, but he has now been praised by Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved.
As quoted by Football Italia, Nedved suggested that Morata is actually more important than Vlahovic and Dybala in that front three.
Nedved feels that Morata is great at holding up the ball, working hard and creating spaces for teammates, performing a selfless role.
Arsenal fans would absolutely still rather have Vlahovic, but it’s clear that Morata is more highly rated than people think.
With Arsenal desperate for strikers this summer, let’s see if Morata remains on the wish list.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
