Arsenal’s list of striker targets for the summer keeps on growing as the Gunners are vigorously looking for one. The Londoners have been linked with many names since making the signing of a striker their top priority. As a result, Arsenal are shortlisting quality strikers across Europe in a bid to land one. New reports out of Italy now suggest that Arsenal are studying a transfer for Juventus striker Alvaro Morata.
Arsenal are missing a regular goalscorer in their line-up, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah failing to deliver. Moreover, no replacement for Aubameyang came in after he left in January. But Mikel Arteta has now demanded a striker signing since the Gunners have suffered a lot due to a lack of goals. Lacazette and Nketiah are staring at an exit as well, giving Arsenal’s search operation for a striker an acceleration.
However, Arsenal are dealt with a huge blow in their pursuit of Morata, who has bluntly rejected a move. According to Tutto Juve, Arsenal expressed their wish to bring Morata back to Premier League which has not gone well with the striker. The Spaniard endured a forgettable experience previously in the English top-flight between 2017 and 2020 with Chelsea drawing parallels from the same, Morata doesn’t want a repeat.
The striker conveys a ‘sharp no’ to Arsenal’s approach
Morata was with Chelsea from 2017 to 2020. However, the striker spent a woeful time at the Stamford Bridge failing to deliver. Chelsea signed him from Real Madrid for a fee of £36 million. Bearing a lot of expectations when the Blues were cursed in the position, Morata was another failure at the club. Though he managed a decent 15 goals in his first season at Chelsea, a downfall followed.
Morata managed a mere 9 goals in 24 games in the next campaign, forcing Chelsea to loan him out. But he faced a lot of backlash from the English media for his dreadful performances. Immense criticism followed after he scored just 24 goals in 79 games for Chelsea. However, Atletico took him on loan, and then made his move permanent in 2020 for £30 million.
Owning to the same experience, Morata now doesn’t want Premier League football. The report from Tutto Juve only adds to Arsenal’s striker woes. Football Italia had claimed that the Gunners were even ready to pay £25 million for Morata who is at Juventus on loan from Atletico. La Stampa, via Tutto Juve, further adds that Arsenal made the initial contacts with Atletico bosses, but Morata had his answer ready.
Morata feels happy at Juventus, and the same feeling is reciprocated by the Italian giants. The striker has scored 11 goals so far this season for the Old Lady. However, his last season was decent where he netted 20 goals in 44 games for Juventus. As a result, Bianconeri are ready to buy him in the summer for £12 million. Arsenal’s desperation for a striker continues as they need one before the start of the next season.
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