Arsenal & Tottenham Handed Double Blow In Alvaro Morata Pursuit

With the January transfer window now open for business clubs will be working hard to try and strengthen their squad for the second half of the season, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with all the latest news, gossip and rumours. Today, more on the future of Alvaro Morata.

Arsenal and Tottenham have been handed a double blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, according to recent reports.

The Spanish under-21 striker has been one of the most talked about players so far in the January transfer window with both Arsenal and Tottenham strongly linked with a move in recent days.

Reports on Friday suggested that Morata’s agent, Juanma Lopez, travelled to London with the players father to hold talks with the north London duo about a potential six-month loan deal.

However, the Mirror are now claiming that Arsenal and Spurs are facing further competition for the players signature with Benfica understood to have tabled a €7million bid to try and take the 21-year-old to Portugal on a permanent basis.

The report suggests that Real Madrid may have softened their stance on allowing Morata to leave on a short-term basis but it remains to be seen how they will respond to Benfica’s move to sign him outright. The Spanish giants may opt to cash-in now by accepting Benfica’s offer and use the money to strengthen the squad elsewhere, leaving the North Londoners empty handed.

But it seems if Carlo Ancelotti get’s his way Morata won’t be going anywhere. As well as facing further competition from Benfica, Arsene Wenger and Tim Sherwood have been handed a further blow in their pursuit after the Real boss insisted the striker won’t be leaving this month.

Speaking after Madrid’s 2-0 win over Osasuna – a game in which Morata was given a 10 minute run-out – Ancelotti said:

‘We have not changed our idea at all. Morata stays here and he has not told us that he wants to leave.’ [source: Daily Mail]

My take on Ancelotti’s comments are that the club could change their stance IF Morata asks to leave. The player hinted in a recent interview that he may be forced to leave Madrid in search of first team football, so their could be hope yet for Arsenal and Spurs.

The striker said:

‘It’s important to have a proper role in the team. I’ve been at Real Madrid my whole life and I’ve been a Real Madrid fan since I was a boy. I will be all my life but it’s important to have an important role.

‘If the moment comes that I don’t, I will look at other options. Staying at Real Madrid is complicated.

‘Playing five or 10 minutes is okay if you accept it. You have the chance to get on the pitch and try to change a game in a short space of time. Every minute in football is gold.’ [source: Daily Mail]

Morata is highly-rated at the Bernabeu so a loan move would make more sense than a permanent sale in my opinion. He’s hardly playing in the first team this season so it will do the player, and the club, the world of good for him to get some regular action under his belt before returning to Spain in the summer.

Arsenal are in desperate need of more options up front following injuries to Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott and the short-term signing of Morata could be the boost the Gunners need to fire them to the title.

Spurs could also be in need of reinforcements up front after Jermain Defoe agreed a deal to join Toronto FC, and again Morata would be a useful alternative to Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor.

I think there are still plenty of twists and turns left in this potential transfer, despite Ancelotti insisting the player’s not available, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with any developments over the coming days and weeks.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Spurs transfer news

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