Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 8y

Juventus striker Alvaro Morata: I have tempting offers from England

Juventus striker Alvaro Morata has said he would relish a move to the Premier League even if his ultimate aim is to triumph at Real Madrid.

Juve bought Morata, 23, from Madrid for €22 million in 2014 in a deal that includes a clause that allows the Spanish side to repurchase the player for €35 million this summer.

His impressive displays for Juve, who have won back-to-back domestic doubles, mean Madrid are likely to activate that clause, although they could then look to sell the Spain international on for a profit, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain among his potential suitors.

Morata said in an interview with AS that ideally he would return to Madrid but he is wary of returning to his first club at this stage given the competition from fellow attackers such as Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

"I know exactly what I want to happen," Morata said. "I want to succeed at Madrid, but there are great players at Madrid. What I want is to play and to feel important. Next year I will play at the team where I have most chance of doing that."

Morata suggested a move to the Premier League could be his best option at this stage.

"There are some tempting offers from England, but not just for the [big] contracts," he said. "I believe that for my style of play the Premier League would be a great destination.

"I am not saying I want to leave Juventus -- I can only speak well of that team. I am saying that going to the Premier League would not be a step back, just the opposite. With what I have learned in Italy, if I have a chance to learn more in England, it would make me a better player.

"I am 23 and what I want is to progress, to play, to learn from the best and to have a good career."

He said his two years at Juve had proved "a very useful experience" and added: "I have won everything you can win in Italy, more than once, and reached the final stages of the Champions League.

"I have scored goals and grown as a player and a person. I believe I am a different player now than when I left Real Madrid. That kid who came out to run around the Bernabeu is a long way behind now, but above all I have shown I can play at a big club."

Morata said he would like to know his future before Spain begin their Euro 2016 campaign against the Czech Republic in Toulouse on Monday, June 13.

"It is uncomfortable to be here thinking about helping your country, with the phone in your hand," he said. "We will see what happens."

Morata acknowledged that a good tournament would likely elevate his price tag.

"A tournament should not count more than your past CV, but we all know how football is," he said. "Of course if you stand out at the Euros, if you score goals in important games, that can change things. You might not have had the best season, but if you score the winner in the Euros, everyone will notice."

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