Report: Juventus Offer Chelsea 3-Year Loan for Alvaro Morata with Buy Obligation

Juventus have reportedly made a three-year loan offer to Chelsea for Alvaro Morata, which includes an obligation to buy him for £52.8 million.

According Alvise Cagnazzo of The Sun, the offer would be structured similarly to the deal that took Juan Cuadrado to Juventus, with the Bianconeri paying his fee over time.

In this case, the fee would split into payments of £8.8 million in the first year, £17.6 million in the second and then a final payment of £26.4 million to make his stay in Turin—his wife's hometown—a permanent one.

While Chelsea are not said to be particularly keen on that structure, it would allow them to recoup much of the £65 million they paid Real Madrid for Morata last year.

The Spaniard's first campaign with the Blues has not been overly inspiring. His one-on-one finishing has especially let him down, and he has missed plenty of clear-cut chances, per WhoScored.com:

Football journalist Dan Levene suggested the striker's stock has fallen considerably:

However, criticism of him this season should be mitigated by the news that he has played with a back injury for much of it.

Given he has not been fully fit, to score 15 goals and assist a further six in all competitions while transitioning to a new league is a respectable tally.

Chelsea added Olivier Giroud to their ranks in January, and the Frenchman has done well with four goals in his last five matches, but while he's an excellent player to have in the squad, he isn't quite of the calibre to lead a side to the Premier League title on his own.

The pair have also dovetailed well together recently, per ESPN FC's Liam Twomey:

That hints that the duo could make a formidable partnership next season; at the very least, having the pair in their ranks gives them strong options.

If Morata is allowed to leave this summer, Chelsea will have to return to the transfer market and attempt to replace him.

Finding someone with as much talent and potential won't be easy, particularly as the Blues would be making a loss on him and may not be able to splash out the money received for him straight away due to the structure of the deal.