Morata should be a nailed-on starter
I'm not surprised that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has spent the whole year sending Álvaro Morata messages trying to lure the Real Madrid ace to West London.
Morata is every inch the modern striker: he can drift out wide, protects the ball skilfully and possesses a privileged physique that allows him to press opposition defences with admirable insistence.
Another two goals for Morata in win at Granada
And he has goals in his boots. Lots of them. At Granada, he bagged another couple - the first smashed in off Guillermo Ochoa's bar, the second courtesy of a Van Basten-esque change of direction and finish into the corner.
The Real youth product's numbers speak for themselves. This term, he has played 1,100 minutes fewer than Karim Benzema, yet has 20 goals in all competitions - three more than the Frenchman, and five more than Barcelona's Neymar.
His averages are awesome: he scores a goal or provides an assist every 75 minutes. Benzema? Every 126...
Morata: no game time against Atlético, Barcelona or Bayern
Madrid didn't use Morata for even a minute in the two derbies with Atlético Madrid, in El Clásico or in the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
That's an excessive luxury. He should be a starter. A nailed-on starter.