Jordi Alba should be kept well clear of deciding Barcelona’s transfer targets

Álvaro Morata's time at Chelsea has not been an easy ride.

When he scored eight goals in his first nine matches for the Blues, both the club and the fans thought they had found their Diego Costa replacement, a well rounded striker whose link-up play and finishing would give them a fighting chance of retaining their title. Alas, it has not worked out as such. What followed that early run of form was inconsistency and a goalless run of four months between Boxing Day 2017 and April 2018. The Spaniard received reassurances from new boss Maurizio Sarri that he was wanted at Chelsea and would be given a chance to rediscover his early Chelsea form this season. But again, Morata has not managed to hit those heights again and is in and out of the team, rotating with Olivier Giroud or - as we saw against Man City - Eden Hazard. Chelsea are reportedly considering loaning Morata out in the January window for the remainder of the season, presumably with the view of selling him in the summer. One of the clubs linked is Barcelona, incredibly. The Champions of LaLiga have suffered from the same problem as Tottenham in recent years: struggling to find a back-up for a world class striker, in Barcelona's case, Luis Suárez. Barça left-back Jordi Alba has said that Morata is a 'top player' and that he would be welcomed at the Camp Nou.

"Morata is a player that I appreciate a lot, he has been a top player for many years," Alba said on Thursday. "At the end, it’s the club’s [decision] if they want to sign him or not, as with any other player. "If the rumours are true, he would be very welcome, as all the new players [are]."