Alvaro Morata once helped Juventus reach a Champions League Final, but reuniting with the Atletico Madrid striker is not a good idea.
Juventus are in the market for an out-and-out striker to replace Gonzalo Higuain this summer, as Higuain is, sadly, clearly not able to compete at the highest level of football at this stage of his illustrious career.
The quickest fix would be Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli, but new manager Andrea Pirlo appears to be interested in exploring every option first. That’s a wise idea, because while Milik seems committed to the idea of joining Juventus, there are likely better options available.
Alvaro Morata, however, isn’t one of those options.
The Atletico Madrid striker is, like Milik, entering the prime of his career as a striker at the age of 27. He has familiarity with Turin, having spent the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons with the team. Morata even scored five goals in the Champions League en route to Juve’s appearance in the final in 2014-2015.
Juventus have Alvaro Morata on their shortlist
Per Football-Italia.net, Morata is among the strikers on Pirlo’s shortlist. It’s a list that includes Milik, Roma’s Edin Dzeko, Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata, Wolves’ Raul Jimenez, and Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema.
Morata may honestly be the least attractive of those options. Transfermarkt places his value at 36 million euros, which means he would be more expensive than Dzeko and Milik. Additionally, he makes 10 million euros a year, which is not ideal when Juventus want to be more mindful of their ballooning wages.
There’s also the matter of quality. Morata is a good striker, but he isn’t a great striker. So if the Bianconeri do want to pay premium at the position, which honestly isn’t recommended this summer, then Zapata and Jimenez are better players (omitting Benzema since he isn’t remotely a realistic target).
Morata scored 12 goals in 2,105 La Liga minutes with two assists. To compare, Jimenez had 17 goals and six assists in 3,252 Premier League minutes with 1.3 key passes per game and 1.6 dribbles completed per game. Meanwhile, Zapata was far ahead of the pack with 18 goals and six assists in 2,038 Serie A minutes with 1.4 key passes per game.
Juventus need a more well-rounded striker
Juventus want a well-rounded striker. They already have a goal-scorer in Cristiano Ronaldo and a secondary scorer and creator in Paulo Dybala. Despite the transfer rumors, neither of them are going anywhere this summer, barring a sudden falling-out of sorts.
So if Juve want a well-rounded striker, why pay for Morata? He’s more of a poacher than anything else, even if his hold-up play is good. And if they just want a player similar to Morata, why would they sign him over the much cheaper, slightly younger, and more athletic Milik?
The best fit is Zapata, but Atalanta understandably value him too much. He is central to their success in the Champions League and Serie A and one of the league’s top three strikers without a shadow of a doubt.
But what can be said about Morata that is so lavish in praise? He is a solid striker, but for the cost and the value added, Juventus really should be looking elsewhere.