Andrea Belotti Reported as Manchester United Back-Up If Alvaro Morata Bid Fails

Manchester United reportedly see Torino's Andrea Belotti as an alternative to Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata and will pursue the Italian if they fail to land the Spaniard. 

Sky Sports News HQ's Kaveh Solhekol reported as much:

However, according to Marca (h/t Sport Witness), Real will likely resist any attempts to buy Morata:

Per Solhekol, United have already put in a substantial bid for the 24-year-old but appear to have fallen well short of Madrid's valuation:

Morata made just 19 starts last season after being restricted to the role of back-up to Karim Benzema, but nevertheless racked up 20 goals and six assists in 1,872 minutes of play.

The Frenchman managed one fewer goal and three more assists in almost double the amount of game time.

Football writer Liam Canning believes the Red Devils should pursue Morata:

Per Sky Sports' Simon Ormiston, United striker Marcus Rashford would welcome his arrival: "At a big club you are going to attract big players and that's what we want. Anyone who can come in and help the club win trophies, which is the ultimate aim, they are the players we want to bring in. Good competition is important if you want to be successful."

The Spaniard rejoined Los Blancos from Juventus last summer when they activated his £23 million buyback clause, but despite the form he's shown, it's difficult to justify such an enormous leap in valuation, particularly given the role he has occupied in the squad.

ESPN's Alex Shaw baulked at the reported asking price:

However, United could be willing to come close, per GianlucaDiMarzio.com (h/t football writer Tom McDermott):

Belotti would be even more expensive, if Torino are unwilling to come down from his release clause.

The 23-year-old bagged a magnificent 28 goals and eight assists in 38 games in all competitions last season.

His valuation is also high given he has essentially only shown this kind of form for around 18 months, but that is perhaps of little consequence in today's market.

GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal is an admirer and compared his game to Morata's:

Either would be a strong choice for United, who are going to have to pay a premium for any top attacking talent they pursue this summer—clubs will be painfully aware of the wealth at their disposal and their desperate need for firepower.

The Red Devils will need to weigh up the balance of wanting a good deal and ensuring they have the attackers in place to challenge for the Premier League title next year.