Alvaro Morata issues Thomas Tuchel reminder of Chelsea’s transfer priority this summer

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Alvaro Morata’s performance in Spain’s goalless draw with Sweden will have had a sense of familiarity about it for Chelsea fans. This was a Euro 2020 fixture Luis Enrique’s men were huge favourites to win but could only salvage a point from.

Clear-cut chances were in short supply throughout the contest, though a glorious opportunity fell Morata’s way five minutes before half-time.

The Juventus forward capitalised on an error from Sweden defender Marcus Danielson but fired wide of the goal from a one-on-one position.

His disappointing evening came to an end when he was substituted in the 65th minute of the match, replaced by PSG midfielder Pablo Sarabia.

Morata developed somewhat of a reputation for missing big chances during his time at Stamford Bridge and lasted only a season-and-a-half following a then club-record fee of £60million from Real Madrid.

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The 28-year-old missed 17 big chances in his first Premier League season and ended the campaign with an underwhelming return of 11 league goals.

A familiar pattern has since followed with the Blues’ current centre-forward, for whom it has become second nature to squander opportunities in the final third.

Indeed, parallels can be drawn between Morata and Timo Werner – who has certainly divided opinion since his big-money move from RB Leipzig last year.

Werner managed just six Premier League goals in the 2020/21 campaign and was outscored by Jorginho, who ended the season with seven goals to his name.

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The German forward grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons for much of the campaign, as he continued to be caught in offside positions on a regular basis and miss when it appeared easier to score.

Morata was not given the opportunity to build upon his first season of disappointment at Stamford Bridge, having returned to La Liga midway through the 2018/19 campaign. The question is: will Werner be afforded this luxury?

At such a ruthless club like Chelsea, second chances don’t come around all that often and Morata’s below-par performance against Sweden may well act as a warning to the club about the decision they make in the summer transfer window.

It has been reported that the Blues are in the market for a world-class striker and are eyeing the likes of Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku as they aim to challenge for the Premier League title.

Both of the following players would certainly be welcomed arrivals at the club and would likely bring to an end Werner’s hopes of being Chelsea’s go-to man in attack.

The Blues may opt to stay loyal to the Germany international and abandon transfer plans to recruit top talent from elsewhere, though are the club prepared to risk prolonging their wait for another Premier League crown?

Morata’s performance for Spain has proven that old habits die hard – a reality that Chelsea may need to come to terms with when weighing up their transfer plans.

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