Manchester United have reportedly made a £52.4m bid for 24-year-old Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata.
But why has the Spain international emerged as the man that they are after to fill the void left by the injured veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
In Jose Mourinho’s first press conference as Manchester United manager, he launched a fierce defence of his record in bringing through young players. Alvaro Morata is perhaps one of the best examples of that, the Portuguese giving him his Real Madrid debut in 2010. Mourinho worked with him for three seasons with Morata scoring twice in 18 appearances.
Even then, Mourinho faced questions over his use of the youngster. In 2013, he launched an impassioned defence. “I was the one that brought Morata into the first-team squad,” he said. “Who called him up for pre-season with the first team, three times? Me. Who stopped him leaving? Me. Who gave him a first-team contract? Me. Who arranges all that? Me.”
For his part, Morata described him as “the best coach in the world”. Even after Mourinho’s departure from Real Madrid, now seen by many as a divisive figure at the club, the young forward remained grateful. “I want to thank Jose Mourinho, who drilled it into my head that if you don’t work and toil, you’re less likely to play,” he said. And Mourinho remembers.