After winning silverware and holding a guaranteed starting spot under Maurizio Sarri, Alvaro Morata has given an insight into his Chelsea exit.
Arriving from Real Madrid in the summer of 2017 for a then-club-record £60 million, Alvaro Morata was tasked with replacing Diego Costa at Chelsea. His life in London started spectacularly, with Morata netting seven goals in his first seven appearances, including a brilliant hat-trick against Stoke City.
However, a combination of nagging back injuries, a devastating loss of personal confidence for Morata, and the physical demands of the Premier League quickly took a heavy toll.
Despite showing flashes of brilliant movement, he grew notorious for missing critical one-on-one chances. Across 47 Premier League appearances, he managed 16 goals, alongside capturing the FA Cup.
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Alvaro Morata opens up on his decision to leave Chelsea
In an interview on Mario Suarez‘s YouTube channel, Morata says people thought he was crazy when he left Chelsea for Atletico due to his money and contract at Chelsea.
“Sarri really believed in me a lot until I remember two or three training sessions where we argued about this and that, but I always ended up playing in the starting lineup. We were in Champions League places; in fact, that year we won the Europa League with Chelsea, and we were doing well.
“The problem, of course, was when Juanma (Lopez, his agent) told me there was the option of going to Atleti, there was no other option. A lot of people were telling me, “You’re crazy, the money I was earning at Chelsea, the contract I had, why would you go to Atleti?”
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Alvaro Morata’s decision has been vindicated
Alvaro Morata’s statistics since leaving Chelsea absolutely back up his choice. Away from the suffocating pressure of London, Morata stabilised his career, consistently hitting double figures across successful stints with Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
He peaked during a spectacular 2023–24 campaign with Atletico, netting a career-high 21 goals.
Most importantly, escaping that toxic cycle of self-doubt rescued his international status. He went on to captain Spain to victory at Euro 2024, proving that walking away from the Premier League allowed him to achieve the ultimate redemption on the world stage.
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