Chelsea Transfer News: Alvaro Morata Rumoured for January Move, Juventus Linked

Chelsea could part ways with striker Alvaro Morata in January, and Juventus are believed to be leading the way for his signature in the event he exits Stamford Bridge this winter.

The Sun (h/t Calciomercato.com) reported Morata would like to rejoin former club Juve if he leaves Chelsea, and the Bianconeri just so happen to be the team said to be most interested in a purchase.

Cristiano Ronaldo's £100 million summer move to the Allianz Stadium raises questions about the rumours considering Morata would be an expensive backup and is sure to be hoping for starting football.

Morata started the first four matches of the Premier League campaign but has been dropped in favour of January signing Olivier Giroud, who has now started the last three league games in succession.

Giroud has contributed three assists in that time but no goals to speak of. Nevertheless, manager Maurizio Sarri professed support for both his strikers despite the drought following Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool, via Goal:

Morata previously spent two years in Turin and scored 27 goals in 93 appearances for Juventus before Real Madrid activated a buy-back clause in his contract to bring him back to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

The Spain international moved to Chelsea in 2017, but after a bright start to life in southwest London, his record diminished as he ended up with 15 goals in 48 overall appearances. He had netted 20 times in 43 outings for Real the season prior.

Sarri didn't show great confidence in his Spanish striker when quizzed on Eden Hazard's contributions in front of goal. However, his comments suggested Morata will be given the entire season to make his mark, per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella:

Juventus sent Gonzalo Higuain on loan to AC Milan this season and invested a massive sum to acquire Real ace Ronaldo as his replacement, with the former set to make his move permanent next summer.

What's more, the Bianconeri also invested to bring young striker Andrea Favilli, 21, to the club permanently before sending him on loan to Genoa. The up-and-coming talent has been tipped for big things, and his progress would only be impeded further if Morata were to arrive.

As things stand, Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala already offer Massimiliano Allegri capable alternatives in attack.

There's also the question as to why Juve would invest in a player who appears to have only gotten worse since leaving their shores. Author Mark Worrall joked about the forward's lack of accuracy this term during last Wednesday's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool:

A move for Morata would seemingly go against the kind of savvy investments Juventus have made in recent years, while Chelsea may struggle to find the fee they'd want for his services—in his current form at least.