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Report: Atletico finalize Morata loan with purchase option worth €50M

Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC / Getty

Perhaps the most speculated transfer of the January window has reportedly been completed.

The deal between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid to send Alvaro Morata to the Spanish capital is done, The Guardian's Fabrizio Romano reports.

Romano suggests the move will be an initial loan with an option to buy the striker permanently for €50 million (£44 million), although the Evening Standard's Simon Johnson believes the price will be £48.6 million (€55 million).

Morata joined Chelsea in July 2017 for an initial fee of around £60 million, but Johnson claims the combination of an initial loan fee and permanent price would prevent the Blues from suffering a loss on a player who has scored just 24 goals in 18 months at the club.

The 26-year-old has managed only five Premier League tallies this season. Other than a brace in the FA Cup third-round win over Championship outfit Nottingham Forest, he has not found the net since a double vs. Crystal Palace on Nov. 4, although he's only featured in two of the Blues' last eight league games.

Morata's deal is just the first turn of the carousel. Gonzalo Higuain appears set to replace him at Stamford Bridge and reunite with his former Napoli chums Maurizio Sarri and Jorginho. To replace Higuain, Milan are reportedly closing in on Genoa revelation Krzysztof Piatek, while Johnson suggests Atletico may need to offload either Nikola Kalinic or Gelson Martins to make room for Morata.

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