Morata has been hot and cold this season, having scored eight goals and registered five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions.
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According to reputed Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Juventus forward Alvaro Morata is in advanced talks to join Barcelona with the Bianconeri closing in on signing Dusan Vlahovic. The Spanish striker is currently in his second stint with Juventus, rejoining the Serie A club from Atletico Madrid in September 2020 on a two-year loan deal. However, the transfer hasn’t worked out as expected for both parties, with Juventus struggling in this period. Meanwhile Barcelona needs to adjust their finances to bring in the 29-year-old.
Juventus will submit an official proposal in the next hours to sign Vlahović immediately. Talks ongoing. ⭐️?? #Vlahovic
It’s now up to Dusan. In case he joins Juventus, Álvaro Morata would be an option for Barcelona again. Morata would be still open to join Barça. Let’s see. pic.twitter.com/gBpYBiJ0Zy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 24, 2022
The cash-strapped La Liga side are desperate for a striker, with the new coach Xavi looking to bolster his attacking line-up. Morata has been hot and cold this season, having scored eight goals and registered five assists in 29 appearances across all competitions. But despite his inconsistency, the 29-year-old remains a highly sought-after player in the transfer market.
The arrival of Vlahovic in Turin seemingly paves the way for Morata’s exit. Barcelona have been in search of a striker in the transfer window with several names emerging on their radar. The Catalan club’s urgency to bolster their attack has cropped up due to Sergio Aguero’s forced call to hang up his boots after contracting a heart ailment that prevents him from returning to the field.
Aguero’s retirement has left Xavi with only Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong as the only strikers at his disposal. With both players struggling to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, the Blaugrana must sign a centre-forward before the end of the current transfer window.
Therefore, Morata has become Barcelona’s priority target for the ongoing window after initial links with other strikers like Edinson Cavani, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette not working out.
With less than a week left for the January transfer window to shut down, Barcelona will need to accelerate the move for Morata. However, Sport reports that the Catalan club must get their house in order before welcoming Morata to the club. FFP rules mean that Barcelona would be unable to sign the Spanish striker should they strike a deal with his parent club, Atletico Madrid this month.
As a result, the club’s hierarchy must free up the wage bill in order to make room for the Morata, and Ousmane Dembele could hold the key to allowing the club to land the striker. Dembele has been in talks with the Catalan’s over a new deal, on a reduced salary, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
