Barcelona have struck a deal with Alvaro Morata for the player to make the move to Camp Nou, but both parties must wait for Juventus to find a replacement for the Spain striker before the transfer is signed off and he can exit Turin, soccanews can confirm.
The Bianconeri will not exercise their option to purchase the striker outright from Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
The forward’s time in Italy is coming to an end, with Juve having already indicated that they have no intention of exercising their right to purchase the striker outright for €35 million (£29m/$40m) from parent club Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
The Blaugrana have therefore moved to seal his return back to La Liga from Serie A, and have now effectively agreed terms on an 18-month deal for the attacker – but no deal will be confirmed until the Bianconeri have sorted out a successor at Allianz Stadium.
Members of the Barca hierarchy contacted Morata’s representatives in recent weeks in order to gauge interest in a return to his home country, having been away in Italy since he was loaned to Juventus last year.
Having succeeded Ronald Koeman in charge, Xavi is looking to course-correct the club’s season, with the Blaugrana – much like Juve – caught in something of a rut, and a traditional striker viewed as an integral part of that transition.
Now, it looks like that the Catalan outfit have almost got their man, but final concerns remain, including securing consent from both the Old Lady and Morata’s parent club Atletico, to whom he has been contracted since 2020.
So far, the Bianconeri remain relatively uncommitted on the deal, despite suggestions that they were offered Memphis Depay in part-exchange early on, with the central issue lingering over finding a replacement for Morata.
Separately, the forward is contracted to Atletico through to 2023, meaning Barca would also have to reach an agreement with Diego Simeone’s side before a move to Camp Nou could be completed.
As such, those complications present a barrier to any potential deal being struck between the three clubs before the end of the January transfer window, even if personal terms are all but secure.