Chelsea Transfer News: Atletico Madrid confirm agreement to sign Alvaro Morata permanently

What's the story?

Both Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have announced that Alvaro Morata will leave Stamford Bridge permanently. Atletico Madrid had signed him on an 18-month loan deal in January and have now now reached an agreement to make his signing permanent.

In case you didn't know...

The Blues previously demanded £50 million for the striker and if Atletico were to not make the signing permanent this term, Chelsea would end Morata's loan deal early and recall him. However, Morata returned to the La Liga side for his pre-season training this week and there were indications that Atletico Madrid wanted to make the Spaniard a permanent player.

Morata joined Chelsea in 2017 and made 72 appearances for the Blues. He scored 24 goals for the Premier League side but struggled to adapt to the physical demands of the game in England.

The heart of the matter

Last season, Maurizio Sarri opted to use Eden Hazard as a false 9 and that restricted Morata's game time. Eventually, he left to play for Los Rojiblancos in La Liga.

Despite his departure, Chelsea still have plenty of attacking options especially considering those who had been on loan the past season. Youngsters such as Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all waiting for the chance to shine for the Blues and contribute to the attack.

The 26-year-old never seemed to be a good fit for the Blues and as his form continuously deteriorated due to his lack of confidence. After Chelsea and Atletico Madrid agreed on terms for the transfer of the player, the Premier League side thanked the player for his contributions and wished him luck in the future.

Thank you and good luck, @AlvaroMorata. 👊

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 6, 2019

Morata will continue to play on loan from Chelsea for the 2019-20 season and the signing would be made permanent in the following season. Atletico Madrid took to Twitter to confirm the same.

📝 | Agreement with @ChelseaFC over the transfer of @AlvaroMorata from July 1, 2020. The striker will play at our club on loan this season and the move will become permanent ahead of the 2020-2021 season👉 https://t.co/dX4mI5Nxgw#AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/rpU8Tex0S3

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) July 6, 2019

What's next?

Atletico Madrid are continuing to strengthen their squad while Chelsea will have to deal with their transfer ban. However, with a number of talented youngsters, there is little doubt that losing Morata wouldn't affect them much.