Why is signing Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid a shrewd decision by AC Milan?
After spending the last two seasons with Atletico Madrid and captaining the Spain Men's National Team to victory at the 2024 European Championship, Alvaro Morata is making his Serie A return with AC Milan.
Since missing out on Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, who has left Bologna for Manchester United, the Rossoneri have decided to purchase the 31-year-old as their replacement for French veteran Olivier Giroud.
Milan officially announced the signing and have paid Los Colchoneros the €13 million release clause for Morata and he has signed a four-year contract with an option for another season. The Spaniard has played in Italy previously, spending two spells at Juventus.
With the Rossoneri in need of goals, what can the 31-year-old offer at his age?
Why have AC Milan signed Morata?
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic retiring in 2023 and Giroud leaving for Los Angeles FC in the MLS this summer, Milan needed to bring an experienced striker who could lead their attack, and at the age of 31, Morata fits the bill.
Under the ownership of RedBird Capital Partners, the Rossoneri are not prepared to spend extravagantly on players, so acquiring a forward for €13m will be seen as bargain from their perspective.
Morata brings experience to the Milan attack, having played for clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid in the past, and he has represented Spain in 80 international matches. He is also familiar with the nuances of Italian football, having played for Juventus from 2014 until 2016 and again from 2020 until 2022.
Why is Morata so underrated?
There are a few reasons why Morata is one of the most maligned players of his generation. When he first emerged in the early 2010s, Spain boasted a golden generation of players that won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships as well as the 2010 World Cup. Being an heir to great strikers like David Villa and Fernando Torres would be unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.
His record at youth level was incredible, scoring 11 goals in 13 matches for the Spain Under-19 team, and 13 in as many games for the Under-21 side. His rate has not been as prolific for the senior squad, finding the back of the net 36 times in 80 matches. With the type of football Spain play, it would be easy to deduce that his tally should be greater than that.
At club level, Morata has not scored more than 15 goals in a league campaign, reaching that tally with Atletico Madrid in the 2023/24 La Liga campaign and with Real Madrid back in 2016/17.
Despite not being a prolific scorer in league football, he has had some respectable campaigns in the Champions League. He scored five goals when Juventus reached the 2015 Champions League Final including one in the 3-1 defeat to Barcelona. He also scored six goals in eight matches in the 2021/22 edition for the Bianconeri and found the back of the net five times last season with Atleti.
Throughout his career, Morata has operated as a lone striker or in the middle of a trident attack, which probably do not bring the best out of him. At Juventus under both Massimiliano Allegri and Andrea Pirlo, he played in a striking duo, and he played alongside Antoine Griezmann in an attacking at Atletico Madrid.
At Milan, it is unlikely that new coach Paulo Fonseca will be playing with two forwards, but Morata, who stands at 1.90m tall, is mobile and agile for his height, and he can link up well with his teammates. He might not possess the aura of Zlatan, or even Giroud, but the Spaniard is still capable of going about in a professional manner.