Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has poured cold water on the speculation that he could move to Manchester United this summer in a swap deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, who reportedly wants to leave the Old Trafford club this summer.
The Sun has reported that the 29-year-old Spain international, who has already flopped in the Premier League with Chelsea, making the move back in the summer of 2017 when United were also linked with him, does not seem keen on a transfer.
The striker scored twice for his club in the victory over Getafe in La Liga on Monday evening. There has been a lot of speculation suggesting that United could sign him this summer which then became a swap deal as Atletico Madrid saw their interest in Ronaldo re-emerged.
Morata, 29, seems to have distanced himself from a return to the Premier League this summer and considering how much of a mess United are in at this stage of the summer, you could not blame him. He was reported in The Sun playing down the rumours, saying:
“I really want to play here, work and play in many competitions. I’m excited to be here, as always, I can only work and run for the team in every game.
“Speculation over my future? It’s what comes out in the press, I just wanted to work and work. Atletico are one of the best clubs in the world. If there’s a market I can’t do anything, just work. I’m happy here and I want to continue working.”
Morata spent the last two seasons at Juventus after signing for Atletico Madrid in 2019. He does have a lot of competition at the Madrid club though with Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Matheus Cunha all vying for starting places.
United had been linked to Cunha in the past 24 hours or so but that was a damp squib with nothing really developing. However, United are said to have a delegation in Madrid, which has been suggested could be for Real Madrid Casemiro but something else could happen.
Journalist Jose Felix Diaz has suggested that United’s delegation met with Joao Felix’s representatives in Madrid on Tuesday evening, but it is not something that would be viable with the club not wanting to sell their ‘franchise player’.
United’s summer seems to have seen them linked with almost every player out there with nothing really ventured or gained. It shows a distinct lack of planning, knowledge, ability or even an inkling that leaving things late will end in much disappointment.
Written by John Walker
