Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata reveals he spoke to Milan directors Max Allegri, José Mourinho, and Simone Inzaghi last summer but opted to remain with the Colchoneros after chatting with Diego Simeone.
The Spain international was linked with a return to Serie A last summer, but he eventually stayed in Madrid and signed a contract extension with the La Liga giants.
“The situation was pretty unusual. My contract with Atletico was about to expire, and I extended it, massively changing the financial condition and even the terms of a possible sale due to Financial Fair Play reasons,” the former Juventus star told Gazzetta.
“Milan called me and many coaches because I am on good terms with everyone. Allegri coached me and the same is true of Mourinho who gave me my Real Madrid debut. I liked the idea of joining Roma to play with Paulo [Dybala], in a club and in a city filled with passion, where they live football like in South America.
“I’ve known Inzaghi for a few years, and we met on holiday. He is an incredible, spectacular person, and it is nice to spend time with him. He transmits positive energy.”
Why didn’t he move to Serie A then?
“There were contractual problems with Italian clubs, but a chat with Simeone changed everything. I want to clarify one thing,” Morate replied.
“Many say we don’t get along. This is absolutely not true. We are on excellent terms, and it has improved since last summer because we’ve known each other more personally.
“In football terms, everything was clear already. We’ve made a step forward in terms of mutual understanding. I’ve never played so many games at Atletico Madrid, and I’ve scored many goals too.”
Morata, 31, has scored 20 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this season and his contract with the Colchoneros expires in June 2026. Does this mean he should expect a quiet summer in terms of transfer rumours and negotiations?
“Never say never! Summer is never quiet,” he admitted.
“My family and I are happy in Madrid, but I am no longer 23 or 24, and we need to know the club’s plans. At the moment, I know nothing.”
Morata’s Atletico Madrid eliminated Inter from the Champions League Round of 16, so the Spaniard explained how he and his teammates knocked out one of the favourite sides to win the competition.
“We had been preparing the game for weeks. Simeone showed us many videos of nice things Inter did,” Morata claimed.
“Everyone thought they’d reach the Final, including us. They could have won the Champions League last season and will win the Serie A this term, unless a disaster happens. They kept us alive in the first leg, and we put in a great performance in the second leg. We won on penalties, but it was like a lottery, and it could have gone either way.”