Barcelona have made contact with Alvaro Morata’s entourage, according to GOAL, with the Blaugrana keen to take over the final six months of the striker’s loan at Juventus and willing to transfer Memphis Depay to the Serie A side to sweeten the deal.
Morata’s time in Italy is coming to an end, since Juve have no intention of exercising its right to purchase the striker’s contract outright at season’s end for $40 million from parent club Atletico Madrid.
His potential availability has therefore not gone unnoticed at Camp Nou, with new boss Xavi keen to add a tried-and-tested No. 9 to his own ranks. The Old Lady, however, is unconvinced by Netherlands international Depay.
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Will Morata join Barcelona?
Members of the Barca hierarchy have contacted Morata’s representatives in order to gauge interest in a return to his home country, having been away in Italy since he was loaned to Juventus last year.
Having succeeded Ronald Koeman in charge, Xavi is looking to course-correct the club’s season, with the Blaugrana — much like Juve — caught in something of a rut, and a traditional striker is viewed as an integral part of that transition.
Such is the pressing urgency, Barcelona is hoping that it can convince the Bianconeri to part ways with Morata midway through the season and it’s trying to use Depay — who has struggled to fully deliver on his promise at the Catalan outfit — as a bargaining chip.
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How a Morata-Depay trade would work
As mentioned, the Bianconeri have doubts over Depay, specifically his physical state, with the forward having been sidelined with a thigh muscle injury since early December.
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Separately, Morata is contracted to Atletico through to 2023, meaning Barca would also have to reach an agreement with Diego Simeone’s side before a move to Camp Nou could be completed. But Atletico is only one point ahead of Barcelona in the La Liga standings and would likely not be thrilled to help a direct competitor for Champions League spots ahead of the second half of the season.
Those complications present a barrier to any potential deal being struck between the three clubs before the end of the January transfer window.
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