Atletico Madrid close to signing Chelsea striker?

Atletico Madrid are reportedly close to securing the signature of Alvaro Morata from Chelsea during the ongoing transfer window.

The Spaniard has endured a tough 18 months with the Blues where he has managed just 16 league goals and it appears that the club have made their mind up to offload his services.

According to Sky Sports News, the Blues are currently in discussions with Atleti regarding the permanent sale of the striker and the deal could be pushed through in the forthcoming days.

Morata was pursued by the Blues from Real Madrid for a club-record £70m fee in 2017 but they are prepared to take a lesser sum of £45m in order to release the striker from their ranks.

The Spaniard has been excluded from the matchday squads for the recent games against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United with a knee problem given as the reason behind the absence.

As such, the FA Cup third round tie against Nottingham Forest may end up being his final appearance in the Blues shirt - just like Cesc Fabregas, who has already made the move to AS Monaco.