Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata, who broke the club transfer feed record when he signed from Real Madrid in the summer, has already hinted at a Stamford Bridge exit in the near future.
Then, realizing what he had just done, quickly walk backed those comments. Like someone who just got beat on defense, he did a lot of back-pedaling. Morata was quoted by an Italian newspaper praising London but also added: “I do not see myself living here for very long. Too much, too much stress, too many metropolises.”
Not exactly what Chelsea supporters want to hear right now in a season that’s already seen its share of tumult. Rumors continue to swirl about manager Antonio Conte, with talk that he could get the sack the next time the Blues falter in a run of results. Morata, for his part, did his best to bring back a theme of stability.
“I’m really happy here and enjoying London with my wife,” the Spaniard later said.
“When I finish my career, I prefer to come back to my country. I prefer the place where I was born, that’s normal. When I say London is a stressful city, I’m talking about the traffic and a lot of people. It’s an incredible city. If Chelsea proposed 10 years, I’d probably sign it. I’m happy with everything. If I make good and improve, I can stay here more than five years.”
That’s very true. There is no place like home, as they said in “The Wizard of Oz.” And while just about everybody is intrigued/fascinated by the United Kingdom capital, one of the world’s greatest cities on Earth, it’s not a place for everybody.
Alvaro Morata has six goals and three assists across nine Premier League contests this season. Chelsea take on AS Roma in Champions League group play tonight, then face Manchester United in league play on Sunday. It’s a huge match all around, but especially so for Morata, as he came very close to signing with Old Trafford this summer.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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