The arrival of Alvaro Morata to Chelsea might signal new things to come at the Stamford Bridge due to his different style of the play. Before now, Chelsea have always preferred a goal poacher with a lot of strength to bully defenses once the ball is flung into the box from the attacking midfielders, making it easy for the likes of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa to flourish with the Premier League champions.
Following his success last season, Blues boss Antonio Conte has gained some ground and respect within the club hierarchy; dictating the kind of players that would fit into his system at the Stamford Bridge, Much has to be said about the manner Nemanja Matic was made surplus to requirements despite being a key figure for the club during their two shots at the Premier League title in three seasons, while also dealing with the issue of Diego Costa in a drastic fashion that requires only an enigmatic figure to carry on.
It was understood that Chelsea's technical director Michael Emenalo preferred signing Romelu Lukaku to Alvaro Morata due to the Belgian's semblance to their previous strikers with enough strength to muscle out defenders.
However, Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Antonio Conte revealed that Morata was always his first choice, he said: "It is very important the choice. Morata for sure is our first choice. He is a good player, the right prospect for Chelsea and hopes to show his value with us."
What does Alvaro Morata bring to Chelsea?
The 24-year-old striker has often been praised for his attributes as an all-round striker that is capable of holding on play while linking up with his teammates as well as playing behind defenses to create space for the likes of Pedro and Hazard to attack.
He also brings with him a bunch of experience of playing at the top following his spells in Italy and Spain at a young age.
However, his time at Juventus and Real Madrid has shown that Alvaro Morata can be found wanting when asked to lead the pack, an attribute that he will need to add to his game at Chelsea if he is to flourish due to their pattern of play that requires a leader up the pitch; while Drogba brought live to the pitch, Diego Costa took the role of a battering ram that would not stop until he finds the net.
On the contrary, fellow Spanish forward, Fernando Torres also had issues blending into the setup at Chelsea and was tagged a wrong addition due to his poor conversion in front on goal despite joining Chelsea for a record $65 million from Liverpool.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane always preferred Karim Benzema to Morata due to his leadership role in the box despite not being a prolific goalscorer.
Alvaro Morata appears to have been baby-sited for so long but he now needs to get out of his shell and prove to his critics that he is got what it takes to be called a world class striker.
How will Alvaro Morata fit at Chelsea?
With the presence of Eden Hazard and Pedro in attack, Morata will enjoy so much of delivery from the attacking duo which he will be expected to convert into goals.
Morata's ability to create chances for his teammates will also prove crucial for Chelsea in winning games next season, giving the likes of Hazard and Pedro the opportunity to feed off the main striker, unlike Costa who was more of a goal poacher that needed services to score.
Antonio Conte's choice of Alvaro Morata could end up helping Chelsea win a lot of games in the Premier League and Champions League. Fans should expect a more fluidity in attack from the Blues next term and their ability to break down opposing defenses in split seconds.