Manchester United Transfer News: Alvaro Morata Rumours Intensify

Zinedine Zidane's attempts to keep Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid have failed, as the club has opened negotiations with Manchester United.

That's according to Marca's Jose Felix Diaz, who reported the manager made a desperate plea to the Spain international, hoping to keep him in the Spanish capital.

Morata wants more regular playing time, however, and United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly informed him he will have a big role in England.

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Earlier this week, president Florentino Perez told Onda Cero (via AS) United hadn't made an offer yet, and Los Blancos were hopeful they could convince Morata to stay:

"Nothing is done. It's not a problem regarding talks. No one wants Morata to leave. I haven't talked to his father, but he is a Madrid player, we're happy with him and no one is thinking about him leaving. I have read somewhere that we have an agreement worth €75 million. I have read it in the papers. But no one has offered us anything and no one has held talks about Morata."

It's easy to see why Morata would be keen on a departure, though. After playing a starring role at Juventus―where he led the team to a UEFA Champions League final with two great outings against Los Blancos in 2015―he reverted back to a depth role in Madrid, despite outplaying Karim Benzema for the bulk of the season.

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With the 2018 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the 24-year-old needs regular minutes to earn his spot as Spain's starter. Chelsea's Diego Costa has often been given that role, even though Morata has often performed better in the La Roja shirt.

There's also the financial aspect, per Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports:

Per the report, Mourinho has made it clear he's not interested in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, freeing the Red Devils up for a run at Morata. The forward won't be cheap―Perez is said to be holding out for €80 million―but United have the kind of financial muscle to complete just about any deal.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic not returning to Old Trafford, the Red Devils need another figure to spearhead the attack, so don't be surprised if they spend big on Morata.