Spanish forward Álvaro Morata, 32, signed with Galatasaray after a poor stint with Milan. He has clear goals for joining the Turkish club-to be the one and only of the strikers. The one-year loan deal cost the Turkish club €6 million with an option to buy set at €9 million.
Follow Playing for 90 on X (Twitter).
A disappointing Milan stint and the search for redemption
Morata arrived in Milan with a lot of fanfare, yet the player was anything but impressive on the pitch: in 25 games played, he scored five goals and made one assist-far below what is expected from an elite striker.
Things got worse when Sérgio Conceição arrived as Milan's new head coach. The Portuguese manager did not seem to trust the Spanish forward, and he was left on the bench in the last four matches before his departure. That was a clear signal that his role in the squad was diminishing.
With this in the backdrop, the loan to Galatasaray seems to be a win-win situation. Milan offloads an underperforming player, Galatasaray reinforces its attack, and Morata gets the fresh chance of trying to take back his position as one of the best forwards in the business.
Galatasaray's rise continues with a title in sight
At variance to Milan's fortunes of ups and downs in this season's games, Galatasaray is well-positioned, considering the club has led the unbeaten position so far in the Turkish Super Lig with 20 matches and amasses 54 points while contemplating Morata's arrival as being key toward clinching the league title.
The squad is already extremely competitive, but Morata's experience might be the thing that turns out to be the determining factor in the final straight of the season. Besides that, the striker has a renowned track record at big clubs such as Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus, and Chelsea, which can actually be very important for the team's locker room.
It might well be the case that, for Morata, playing in a team actually competing for titles is just what he needs. With the freedom to roam in attack and with more mobile center-forwards favored under the tactical approach, he will have every opportunity to get once again into his form and put disappointments in Italy behind him.
Smart investment or financial gamble?
The investment in Morata by Galatasaray is not small. Apart from the loan fee of €6m, it could further spend another €9m for his permanent signing. His contract in Milan runs until 2028, meaning that in case Morata fails to establish himself in Turkey, he might return to Italy with an uncertain future.
Considering that Galatasaray has a recent record regarding rejuvenation of professionals, this may also become a good bet. So far, it has already been able to renew the careers of Mauro Icardi, Dries Mertens, and Hakim Ziyech, who all came to the club with doubts but became crucial within a short period of time.
If Morata quickly adapts to the team's style of play, he will have a great chance to become the main offensive reference and win silverware. But if his struggles at Milan repeat themselves, the club could end up spending big without a guaranteed return.