AC Milan were heavily linked with a move for Joshua Zirkzee a few weeks ago but after missing out on him they decided to turn to a very different profile.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have spoken about the decision to go for Alvaro Morata, one which starts from a very simple premise: the management never follow just one objective, instead there are always at least four or five targets for each role.
At that point the club starts discussions with the parties involved, gathers information and reflects on what to do, evaluating the pros and cons of each operation. After missing out on Zirkzee over commissions, they went for a more ‘safe’ bet.
What exactly does that mean? Well, it takes broad shoulders to thrive under the pressure of 70,000 fans at San Siro and on the biggest stages, yet Morata has shown in his time at Juventus, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid that he can do it.
From the league title and cups won with Juve to the Champions Leagues won with Real and the European Championship with Spain on Sunday, the 31-year-old boasts an impressive CV when it comes to getting over the line.
Milan looked at names like Benjamin Sesko, Serhou Guirassy, Viktor Gyökeres, Romelu Lukaku and Zirkzee, then Romelu Lukaku’s name came up, but they went for Morata in an almost €50m operation. The €13m clause plus at least €32m for salary (four-year contract at €4.5-5m per season plus an option) show this is far from a cheap option.
There is also the tactical aspect to consider. Morata has adapted his game and now is good both in link-up play but also in finishing chances that arrive inside the box. His performances with Spain – where he has Williams and Yamal to either side – show what he can do.
Considering that Milan have quite direct wingers like Rafael Leao, Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor plus runners like Christian Pulisic, Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, it could create a perfect harmony.