January 05, (THEWILL) – In recent weeks, Barcelona has shown increasing interest in Alvaro Morata. Sources have pointed to the allusion that the Spanish striker wants to join the Catalans because his future in Turin is unknown, as the basis for this move.
Juventus, however, must consent to a contract with Barcelona, something the Bianconeri will not do unless a like-for-like replacement is found.
Memphis Depay is one player Barcelona might be likely to trade to Turin for Morata. When Depay was with Lyon, the Bianconeri targeted the Dutchman, but he chose to join Barcelona in La Liga instead, with the attractive notion of playing alongside Lionel Messi.
Although it is possible for Barca to give him up for Morata, Morata’s agent, Giovanni Branchini, has said that the former Manchester United striker is not interested in leaving Barca, implying that Morata will stay at Juve.
Branchini said: “From what I understand Alvaro will remain at Juve. Depay is not interested in the Bianconeri or Atletico and the player has taken note.
“His relations with the Juventus club remain intact because it was understandable his desire to find a stable accommodation away from Madrid, but it is equally true that Juve cannot let him go without a substitute.”
Juve are just as interested in keeping Morata with the Old Lady. The manager believes it is to their advantage if the Italian forward remains in Serie A. “Morata has not been firing on all cylinders, but he remains an important member of our team. We cannot lose such a key player now considering we are battling to break back inside the top four.”
In addition, exchanging Morata for Depay is no guarantee of success, because the Dutchman might become a flop in Turin, while Morata has proven himself overtime with his contributions to the side.
The safest bet for the Bianconeri is to keep Morata and replace him with a top striker at the end of this season rather than engage in mid-season bets.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
