Arsenal have been handed a potential boost in their hope of signing Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, with Juventus unwilling to meet the €35m (£29m) obligation clause for the Spaniard.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serie A side have no intention of signing Morata unless Atletico drops their transfer valuation for the attacker, with the reigning La Liga champions desperate to offload the former Chelsea star.
Morata has enjoyed a solid season with Juventus, with the striker bagging 11 goals in all competitions and starting regularly alongside Dusan Vlahovic, yet the arrival of the Serbian in January has meant the Old Lady can’t afford to sign the 29-year-old for Atletico’s price.
As a result, Arsenal could be back in the race to sign Morata. As reported by Niccolo Ceccarini, the Gunners have the former Real Madrid star on their shortlist, with Mikel Arteta seemingly a fan of the attacker despite his age and potentially high transfer fee.
Branded ‘amazing’ by Spain manager Luis Enrique, Morata has split opinion amongst most football supporters, with the striker sometimes incredible on his day or wasteful on another, and this could be an off-putting sign for Arsenal fans.
Indeed, if Arsenal did go in for Morata this summer based on Juventus’ failure to meet Atletico’s demands, the signing would be a contentious one for supporters given the Gunners’ recent transfer plan which has worked wonders on the club.
Arsenal fans will be hoping Juventus agree Morata compromise
Whilst it is difficult to say how Morata would do at Arsenal, there’s no denying that most fans would be more eager to see the striker remain at Juventus rather than make a return to the English capital this summer.
After all, the Gunners are set to spend big on strikers in the transfer window, and signing Morata would be nothing short of an underwhelming addition for Arsenal given how successful the club’s business has been in recent markets.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
