By Daily Sports on January 25, 2019

Maurizio Sarri said that Alvaro Morata forced Chelsea into the January transfer market for a new striker by saying that he wanted to leave the club.

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain arrived in England on Wednesday to complete an initial six-month loan move to replace Morata, who is expected to join Atletico Madrid on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

Morata has struggled on and off the pitch since arriving at Stamford Bridge for a then-club record fee of £58 million from Real Madrid in the summer of 2017, and had fallen behind Eden Hazard and Olivier Giroud in Sarri’s striker pecking order in recent weeks. “I think that Morata is a very good player,” Sarri said. “I think that Morata has the characteristics for playing in my team. But Morata, one month ago, said he wanted to play in another team, so it was really very difficult for him to give us the 100 percent for his mental situation, I think.

“I think that Morata is potentially a very important player. From the physical and technical point of view, he is a very good player and suitable for my football. But the situation changed in the last month, so we needed to change.”

As well as clearing the way for Morata to return to the Spanish capital, the acquisition of Higuain also represents a significant departure for Chelsea, who have been reluctant to sign players over the age of 30 in recent years.

Sarri personally recommended Higuain as Morata’s replacement, and has a different view of when a footballer’s best years end. (ESPN)

•Photo shows Alvaro Morata

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 25, 2019

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