Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is being touted to remain on loan at Atletico Madrid for one more season, after a successful six-month spell.
The Spaniard was shipped off to Wanda Metropolitano back in January on a temporary deal, after a frustrating first half of the 2018-19 campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The 26-year-old has since emerged as a key star for Diego Simeone’s side, contributing six goals and one assist in 14 La Liga appearances.
Morata is due to return to Chelsea this summer, but Atletico are considering paying the Premier League giants £18 million to secure his signature for one more season – according to AS.
The La Liga outfit have the option to buy the forward either this summer or the next but an extended loan deal is reportedly being weighed up first, with Simeone suffering from a lack of options up front.
Antoine Griezmann has shouldered the burden of playing through the middle on his own for much of the season, with Diego Costa’s disciplinary issues restricting his time on the pitch and Nikola Kalinic failing to break into the starting XI since his switch from AC Milan last year.
Morata has given Atletico a much-needed outlet in recent months and they are now exploring the possibility of extending his stay at the club, but much could yet depend on Chelsea’s transfer woes.
The Blues have been hit with a two-window transfer ban and if their final appeal is rejected, no new players will be able to sign for the club for the next 12 months.
Maurizio Sarri might, therefore, wish to bring Morata back to the Bridge, especially with club talisman Eden Hazard set for a switch to Real Madrid at some point this summer – as Metro Sport reports.
Morata joined Chelsea in 2017 and after a bright start to life in the Premier League, he quickly faded into anonymity, missing clear cut chances while struggling to cope with the physical nature of English football.
La Liga seems to suit his style of play better, but the decision is out of his hands and a return to London will be on the cards unless Atletico decide to offer him fresh terms.
