Chelsea Striker Alvaro Morata Reportedly Open to Juventus Return in the Summer

Chelsea's Alvaro Morata has reportedly told Juventus he is open to returning to the club this summer.

According to Rai Sport (h/t Calciomercato.com), Morata is not happy in London and has contacted the powers that be in Turin to let them know he would welcome a return to Italy.

Juventus are said to be receptive to signing him, provided Mario Mandzukic—who is reported to be a target for several Turkish and Chinese clubs, according to Calciomercato—leaves the club.

Morata has contributed 14 goals and six assists in all competitions for Chelsea and has showcased his outstanding ability in the air during his time at Stamford Bridge, per OptaJoe:

ESPN FC's Liam Twomey also highlighted the way the Spain international has adapted to the rigours of the Premier League:

The striker enjoyed a strong start to life with the Blues, but with the team struggling to live up to the standards they set last year, the goals dried up in the winter. He endured a disappointing scoring drought from Boxing Day until March 18.

His finishing in one-on-one situations has particularly stood out as something in need of work, and that could prevent the 25-year-old from becoming one of Europe's top goal-getters.

Juventus know all about his strengths and weaknesses after he played for the club for two years between spells at Real Madrid.

He produced 27 goals and 19 assists in 93 appearances for the Bianconeri, having spent much of his time there as a back-up option, and he scored in some of their biggest games.

He bagged five goals in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase in 2014-15, including one in the final, and he also netted the winning goal in the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan the following season, despite playing just 12 minutes as a substitute.

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Although he has returned to form in recent weeks, it's not surprising the possibility of returning to a club with whom he enjoyed plenty of success is appealing.

The Blues spent a club-record £60 million to prise him from Real Madrid last summer, though, with the idea of bringing in a long-term investment to lead their forward line. Therefore, it's unlikely they would be willing to part with him so soon, even if he has struggled at times this season.

What's more, if they did let him leave, they would want a comparable figure to the one they spent, which Juventus might be hesitant to part with. There are plenty of obstacles for both sides to overcome for this move to take place.