Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid for the club record £60m on a five-year deal.
The Spain international, 24, scored 20 goals last season after rejoining Real from Italian champions Juventus.
Morata won La Liga and the Champions League, but the majority of his appearances were as a substitute.
Premier League champions Chelsea have also signed goalkeeper Willy Caballero, defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer.
Morata will now join up with the Blues squad on their pre-season tour of Asia.
Chelsea’s previous transfer record was the £50m they paid Liverpool for Fernando Torres in January 2011.
“Alvaro has proven class at the highest level and his quality will be a huge asset,” said Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo.
Morata could replace Spain team-mate Diego Costa, who manager Antonio Conte says was told in January that he no longer featured in his plans.
Manchester United had been interested in Morata before they signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton for an initial £75m.
“I’m going to the team managed by the coach who has placed the most faith in me, and that’s great for me,” Morata told AS on Wednesday.
The 6ft 3in striker joined Real Madrid’s youth team in 2008 and made his senior debut aged 18 in 2010.
He moved to Italy in 2014, scoring 27 goals in two years for Juventus, winning both Serie A and the Coppa Italia twice and playing in the 2015 Champions League final.
Real exercised an option in June 2016 to take him back to the Bernabeu.
Morata has 20 caps for Spain and has scored nine goals since his international debut in 2014.
| Morata v Lacazette v Lukaku – the stats 2016-17 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvaro Morata | Alexandre Lacazette | Romelu Lukaku | |
| Games | 26 | 30 | 37 |
| Minutes | 1,331 | 2,408 | 3,267 |
| Goals | 15 | 28 | 25 |
| Assists | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Minutes per goal | 89 | 86 | 131 |
| Total shots | 55 | 84 | 110 |
The stats
- Morata’s conversion rate last season was 27%, the highest of any striker to score 10 or more goals in La Liga in 2016-17 – he scored 15 goals from 55 shots.
- Morata’s goals won Real Madrid 13 points in La Liga last season. Only Cristiano Ronaldo won more for the side with 15.
BBC.com
