Alvaro Morata says he is joining Chelsea because they are “the best club” after arriving in London for a medical.
The 24-year-old striker flew in to Heathrow airport on Thursday morning to complete his move from Real Madrid for an initial £58m fee, which could rise to £70m according to reports.
Jose Mourinho admitted Chelsea’s move for the Spain international was “obvious” after Manchester United signed Romelu Lukaku despite previously being close to a deal for Morata.
Former Juventus forward Morata insists he is delighted to be joining Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, while remaining coy on how near he came to a switch to Old Trafford.
“This is the best club,” Morata, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News reporter Paul Gilmour upon arrival in London, said.
“Antonio Conte is one of the best coaches in the world and I’m so happy to work with Antonio.”
Asked how close he came to joining Manchester United, Morata said: “I don’t know, the most important thing is I’m here playing for Chelsea. Finally I’m here.”
Morata boasted the best goals-per-minute record of any Real Madrid player in La Liga last season, with only Barcelona’s Lionel Messi managing to better his 15 goals at a rate of one every 89 minutes.
The departing Real striker is confident he will be able to settle in to life in the Premier League though after speaking with international team-mate Cesar Azpilicueta.
“[It’s] One of the best leagues in the world and I’m so happy to be here,” Morata added, confirming a medical is the only hurdle left before completing his move to Chelsea.
“I spoke with Azpilicueta and he told me everything is OK and he found it something easy.”
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