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As with even the best rumors from Spain, have plenty of grains of salt at the ready, but according to journalist David Alonso on Spanish radio program El Transistor, Real Madrid striker Álvaro Morata, supposedly Chelsea’s number one choice to replace Diego Costa, does not see a move to Chelsea as a "feasible option" for him.
David Alonso: "@AlvaroMorata no ve la opción del @ChelseaFC muy factible".
— El Transistor (@ElTransistorOC) July 12, 2017
This goes in line with reports from other Spanish media outlets claiming that Morata's intention is to stay in Madrid and fight for a place within the squad, with hopes of dislodging Karim Benzema as manager Zinedine Zidane's preferred starting striker. Morata is apparently committed enough to that cause to even reject €230,000 per week in net wages from Manchester United.
David Alonso: "El @ManUtd le ofrecía 4 temporadas con 230000 euros limpios a la semana".
— El Transistor (@ElTransistorOC) July 12, 2017
And it doesn’t stop there. Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian, whom you might remember from the Diego Costa debacle in January, apparently proposed a €30 million per year deal to Morata — also in net wages, but with a five-year duration. However, even that money was not enough to convince the striker to move. There is a clear narrative here, and that narrative is that Morata isn’t going anywhere.
David Alonso: "El equipo chino que entrena Cannavaro le ha ofrecido 30 millones limpios por año y 5 temporadas".
— El Transistor (@ElTransistorOC) July 12, 2017
So, unless Morata's mindset changes before the end of the summer transfer window, Chelsea would be well advised to turn to other options, such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Andrea Belotti, both of whom seem eminently more available, if not much cheaper than Morata.