Alvaro Morata Reveals Why He Struggled at Chelsea as Atletico Madrid Eye 'Immediate' €55m Deal

Atletico Madrid are eager to activate their option to sign Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata permanently this summer, despite having him on loan for another 12 months.

The Spaniard endured a torrid time at Stamford Bridge, prompting Chelsea to loan him out to Atletico in January. However, since returning to La Liga, Morata has rediscovered his scoring touch, prompting reports Atletico could pursue a permanent deal this summer.

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The latest update on his future comes from Marca, who state that Atletico have asked Chelsea for permission to activate that option now, but pay the agreed €55m fee next summer once the loan expires.

This would allow Los Rojiblancos to spend more money this summer, as they seek to replace the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Diego Godin.

Chelsea are currently awaiting the final ruling over their transfer ban after the Blues lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although it is thought that they may look to sell Morata, regardless of the outcome.

Everyone involved is said to believe that Morata should remain with Atletico, given he was largely ineffective for the majority of his time with Chelsea. The striker himself has made no secret of his desire to make his move permanent, and he recently spoke to Goal about what went wrong for him at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "I didn't quite feel loved or appreciated by the club or the fans. I started very well at Chelsea, but an injury in the end leaves you a bit stuck.

"As bad as it was, I still scored 15 goals and won the FA Cup...but I was out of the World Cup, and for me that was the hardest thing that could happen to me in my life.

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"At Chelsea there came a time when my team-mates, except for the Spaniards, well...you know, it is not the same when you play and you know that you give a pass to someone who is not going to do as well. You do not give the pass in the same way. Everyone who has played football once will understand that.

"And in the end, it is a situation that you cannot control: it is neither about being positive or negative, or about trying to have fun or being worried. It's the confidence that others have in you: your team-mates, the club...and I found it here at Atletico."