Alvaro Morata could well be living his final few days as a Juventus player, but there is still some work to be done before his move to Barcelona becomes official.
There is an expectation that the deal could get over the line this week, but everybody is aware that it’s not quite there yet. Things are in motion, and all four parties (Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Morata) are hoping for an agreement to be found. The move would be Morata’s sixth ‘big’ transfer, having joined Real Madrid, Juventus (twice), Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea previously.
Complications arise from Barcelona needing to lighten their squad, though, whether Morata comes in on loan or in a permanent deal. As MARCA reported, Mauro Icardi’s move from Paris Saint-Germain to Juventus could also impact on the deal.
Barcelona are trying to build a new team for Xavi Hernandez despite the financial problems that hang over them, while Juventus’ delicate situation in Serie A means that they can’t afford to lose a striker without having a replacement ready.
The idea as things stand is to take Morata for the remainder of the loan agreement he had in place at Juventus, with the Catalans then signing him from Atletico Madrid on June 30.
The deal with Atletico Madrid would likely be for a reduced figure, as part of the fee for Antoine Griezmann’s deal from Barcelona to Atleti is still owed to the Catalans.
Another complication is that Barcelona still need to offload players to free up money for salaries, and both Xavi and Mateu Alemany are working to find a solution before they can include Ferran Torres and Morata in their squad.
