If recent reports are to be believed, Chelsea’s choice of a summer striker signing could come down to a difference of opinion between head coach Antonio Conte and technical director Michael Emenalo. Conte supposedly wants a reunion with former striker Alvaro Morata, but the reunion Emenalo wants instead is with his former signing Romelu Lukaku.
But while this story is already being played up for internal conflict — title wins are boring otherwise — players transfers are never that simple. While Conte is not in charge of transfers at Chelsea, it’s a collaborative process and whoever we end up signing, if we actually end up signing anyone (still a chance Diego stays, no?), will have had input from all stakeholders.
In any case, there may not be much of a decision to make at the point anyway. Alvaro Morata himself has recently played down a transfer to Chelsea, saying that he’s not interested in taking Conte’s phone calls regarding any potential transfer.
“If Conte is continuing to call me then it will be my old mobile phone because nothing has come to me. He won't have my new number.”
“I feel good at Real Madrid and that is the important thing. I'm getting goals, I feel important and I have to keep it that way. I cannot think about next season when we have the most important and hardest part of this season in front of us now.”
-Alvaro Morata; source: Mail
Meanwhile, the Lukaku rumors are trending in the other direction, with reports out of Italy today claiming that the deal is all but done. Sky Italia’s Massimo Marianella expects the deal to be concluded in the “very near future” for an eye-watering £70m transfer fee.
Romelu Lukaku’s return to Chelsea is “almost a done deal”, according to @MassMarianella pic.twitter.com/52x1LMbbw2
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) April 6, 2017
Hmmm...