Manchester United leading race to sign Alvaro Morata amid Arsenal and Chelsea interest

Real Madrid are set to activate Alvaro Morata's buy-back clause at Juventus and bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu only to sell him to the highest bidder this summer. The striker has sought interest from a lot of Premier League clubs and is also being closely followed by Paris Saint-Germain, who may also join the race to sign the striker.

The Guardian reports that Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in his signature but the Spaniard would prefer a move to Old Trafford, especially if Jose Mourino is appointed as the manager next season. The former Madrid manager had given Morata his debut and is set to return to management in July with United favourites to claim his services.

The striker is expected to be available for a fee in the range of £40m ($57m) and could also move to Chelsea where new manager Antonio Conte initiated his transfer to Juventus in 2014 before taking over the Italy national team. However, much will depend on Diego Costa's future, with Morata unlikely to move if Costa remains at Stamford Bridge next season.

The striker himself would rather play in the Premier League than Ligue 1 and is also being scouted by other Serie A clubs by the likes of Napoli, Inter and AC Milan. The striker has scored nine goals and assisted eight in 39 appearances this season for the Turin based club and would be a good partner to Anthony Martial, who is likely to lead the line next season at the home of the Red Devils.

Van Gaal's future is likely to be decided after the FA Cup final scheduled next Saturday (21 May) against Crystal Palace but a win may not be enough should the Red Devils fail to qualify for the Champions League next season. A top four finish is out of their hands and they need Manchester City to lose to Swansea City while they win their game against Bournemouth.