Chelsea transfer news: Blues close to landing Gonzalo Higuain in swap deal with flop Alvaro Morata heading to AC Milan on loan
Morata has failed to justify the £65million Chelsea shelled out to Real Madrid for him in 2017 and Maurizio Sarri wants a reunion with his former Napoli hitman this month
CHELSEA are close to offloading Alvaro Morata to AC Milan on loan, with Gonzalo Higuain moving to Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard has flopped in the Premier League, unable to live up to his billing as No1 striker at Stamford Bridge since his £65million summer switch from Real Madrid in 2017.
Morata, 26, has scored just seven goals this season – and only five have been in the Premier League.
And Blues boss Maurizio Sarri has lost patience with Spanish international who has seen winger Eden Hazard preferred to him as the focal point of Chelsea’s attack.
Morata is also being chased by Sevilla who flogged striker Luis Muriel to Fiorentina.
But an escape route back to Italy looks the likeliest outcome for the Spaniard who has failed to light up the English top flight.
Sarri wanted to link up with Higuain when he took over at the Blues last summer.
However, the Juventus striker was farmed out on loan to Milan to make way for Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Sarri could finally get his wish of working with the striker he sold to Juve in 2016.
The Italian coach has made it clear to the club he wants to beef up his attack to maintain their push for a top-four in the second half of the campaign.
Morata and Olivier Giroud have bagged a paltry six goals between them in the top flight this year.
And the need for attacking reinforcements is a priority in this month’s window after Wednesday's blank at home to struggling Southampton.
Once the clubs agree terms, Higuain’s parent club Juve will have to rubber-stamp the deal with a potential option of making the move permanent in the summer.