Antonio Conte’s former assistant Angelo Alessio has detailed from his experiences at Chelsea, why Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata don’t work up front together amidst transfer rumours linking the Spaniard with a move to Milan.
Morata has been heavily linked with a potential return to Serie A in recent weeks, with former club Juventus and Stefano Pioli’s Milan reported to be particularly interested in acquiring him in the summer.
Atletico are ready to part ways with their striker for around €15m, who has 10 goals from 26 La Liga appearances since signing for Diego Simeone in 2020.
If Morata were to join the Rossoneri, he would find one of his former colleagues in Giroud already settled within the striking department, having both played for Chelsea during the 2017-18 season.
Alessio has explained to Gazzetta dello Sport why, despite both players’ individual quality, they didn’t work up front together whilst turning out for the West Londoners.
He explained: “They are two great strikers, with different characteristics. Alvaro is strong in aerial play, but attacks from deep. Olivier is very good at linking moves, often playing with his back to goal. In short, different weapons to change the game at any time.
“If the market rumours materialise, Milan will have to make choices from time to time. It won’t be easy to line them up together, I think rotation is inevitable.”
La Gazzetta explains that Giroud and Morata only played 126 minutes of football together during their time at Chelsea, split over five Premier League matches.
During that spell, Conte’s former side only won once, but fell to three league defeats against Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United.
The two centre-forwards only ever started together once, in a 2-1 win over Burnley in April, 2018, however, neither have scored whilst playing up front simultaneously.
Despite their misfortune whilst playing together, Alessio was still full of praise for Giroud and Morata, adding that any manager would enjoy having such great options to choose from.
Alessio told readers: “There has never been a defined hierarchy, Conte’s choices depended on his opponents, but anyone would like to work with two guys like that.”