The young striker is impressing in Italy and has just earned a call-up to Spain's senior squad. So should Carlo Ancelotti have kept him at the Santiago Bernabeu?Real Madrid to Juventus and earned his first call-up to the Spain squad late last week for the forthcoming games against Belarus and Germany.
Opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu were few and far between for the forward who emerged through the youth system at Madrid and idolised Raul.
Morata made only one appearance in 2011-12 under Jose Mourinho, having appeared twice in 2010-11, and played 15 times (scoring twice) in the Portuguese's final season as he struggled for game time behind both Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain.
Higuain's exit in the summer of 2013 meant more opportunities for Morata last term and the striker played a total of 34 games, scoring nine times. Most of those were substitute appearances, however, and although he ended the season with a Champions League medal (having replaced Benzema with 11 minutes left of normal time), he was sold to Juventus in July for a fee of €20m.
But Morata has now netted four times in seven Serie A appearances for Juve and is blossoming in Italy. So were Madrid right to sell their homegrown forward? Two Goal writers go head to head on the issue ...
| "MORATA WAS A LONG-TERM SUCCESSOR TO BENZEMA" |
By Gonzalo Ruiz
Alvaro Morata is demonstrating in Italy that, despite his young age, he is a striker ready to perform at the highest level. And in just a few months under the orders of Massimiliano Allegri, he is already looking a better bet for a starting spot than compatriot Fernando Llorente (who is an experienced international).
Morata's fine form has earned him a call-up to Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad and his signing already looks a success for Juventus. The same cannot be said, however, for Madrid's decision to sell the youngster last summer.
Madrid have lost a homegrown player who was given little opportunity to prove his worth at the club and who could have continued to evolve in a secondary role behind Karim Benzema at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With Benzema as Madrid's first-choice striker and a point of reference in Real's forward line, Morata always accepted his role as back-up and often responded with goals when he was called upon. However, Florentino Perez decided to sell the striker with a view to bringing in a player of greater calibre over the summer.
As time goes by, though, that decision appears questionable. Javier Hernandez was not the big name manymadridistas expected and Chicharito has not featured heavily so far in 2014-15, while his wages are much higher than those of Morata. The Mexican striker is also set to leave the club in June as his loan period expires, leaving Madrid no nearer to replacing a player who would have been happy to stay.
Morata is a striker with a bright future and a player who responds when given responsibility and confidence. At Real, he could have been groomed for a starting role in several seasons as a long-term replacement for Benzema. Instead, he looks likely to become a hero in Italy and Madrid may pay the price in future if they cannot identify a suitable replacement for the Frenchman in years to come.
Follow Gonzalo Ruiz on
Morata's fine form has earned him a call-up to Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad and his signing already looks a success for Juventus. The same cannot be said, however, for Madrid's decision to sell the youngster last summer.
Madrid have lost a homegrown player who was given little opportunity to prove his worth at the club and who could have continued to evolve in a secondary role behind Karim Benzema at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With Benzema as Madrid's first-choice striker and a point of reference in Real's forward line, Morata always accepted his role as back-up and often responded with goals when he was called upon. However, Florentino Perez decided to sell the striker with a view to bringing in a player of greater calibre over the summer.
As time goes by, though, that decision appears questionable. Javier Hernandez was not the big name manymadridistas expected and Chicharito has not featured heavily so far in 2014-15, while his wages are much higher than those of Morata. The Mexican striker is also set to leave the club in June as his loan period expires, leaving Madrid no nearer to replacing a player who would have been happy to stay.
Morata is a striker with a bright future and a player who responds when given responsibility and confidence. At Real, he could have been groomed for a starting role in several seasons as a long-term replacement for Benzema. Instead, he looks likely to become a hero in Italy and Madrid may pay the price in future if they cannot identify a suitable replacement for the Frenchman in years to come.
Follow Gonzalo Ruiz on
| "HE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR MADRID AT THE MOMENT" |
By Ben Hayward
Time will tell whether Real Madrid were right or wrong to dispense with Alvaro Morata, but just because he has scored a few goals for Juventus, that doesn't mean he is good enough for the Spanish side.
At the moment, he isn't. Morata could have continued as a second-choice striker behind Karim Benzema, but €20 million was a good deal from the Spanish side's point of view and if he develops into a top-class forward at Juve, Madrid can always buy him back.
The way Madrid play makes Benzema the ideal striker for Los Blancos. Instead of operating as a traditional No.9, the Frenchman works hard to create chances for Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and others. Morata, at the moment, does not have that in his locker.
"Madrid are the biggest club in Spain and Juve the biggest club in Italy," the young striker said this week. "I'm very happy right now and I needed the change."
And so far, that change has been good for eveybody concerned. Juve have got a promising forward who is already settling in well and scoring goals, while Morata gets more minutes to prove himself and is now a part of the Spain set-up. Madrid, meanwhile, are on target to set several new goalscoring records in his absence.
Both Roberto Soldado and Alvaro Negredo were forced to leave Madrid in order to make their names elsewhere and Morata is no different. If he does develop into the top-class forward needed to replace Benzema in several seasons, that will be because he is getting the opportunity to play week in, week out - and that wasn't going to happen at Madrid anyway.
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