Chelsea agree deal with Real Madrid to sign striker Alvaro Morata

Chelsea have agreed a fee with Real Madrid for the transfer of former Manchester United target Alvaro Morata, the club announced on Wednesday evening (19 July). The high-profile move is now subject to the Spanish striker agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Confirmation comes merely hours after multiple outlets – including Marca – revealed that the Premier League champions were closing in on a deal worth €80m (£70.7m, $92.1m) plus add-ons.

Morata, who had been in Los Angeles with the rest of the Real Madrid squad on their pre-season tour of the United States, is expected to arrive in London on Thursday and put pen to paper on a five-year contract.

He will become Chelsea's fourth summer signing following the additions of Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Real have also confirmed the agreement, stating that they "wish to express thanks for the dedication, professionalism and exemplary conduct displayed by the player over the years, spanning his time in our academy right through to his spell as a member of the first-team squad".

Chelsea have been in the market for at least one new striker after manager Antonio Conte told Diego Costa that he did not feature in his plans for 2017-18, and with doubts surrounding the future of Michy Batshuayi. The club were widely expected to seal the return of Romelu Lukaku to Stamford Bridge, only for Manchester United to swoop in and sign him instead.

United's deal for Lukaku came after they were unable to agree a fee for Morata, a player who was handed his Real debut by Jose Mourinho seven years ago. Gazzetta dello Sport reported earlier this week that AC Milan were set to seal a £61m deal for the 24-year-old, with the big-spending Rossoneri said to be offering a more lucrative wage packet.

However, they are now said to have switched their focus to Torino frontman Andrea Belotti after Chelsea stepped up their efforts to sign a player who Conte originally brought to Juventus.

Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero were also mentioned as potential alternatives to Morata, while Borussia Dortmund put the brakes on any potential move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.