Arsenal: Alvaro Morata Proves He’d Be A Terrible Signing

Arsenal have been reportedly interested in Juventus forward Alvaro Morata for some time, however, his recent performance for Spain proves that he would be a terrible signing.

There has long been a debate about the striking options available at Arsenal. Olivier Giroud, the long time starting center forward for the Gunners is seen by some as the floundering Frenchman and by others as the perfect fit for Arsenal’s lone striker role. It is a raging argument between sets of pundits and fans alike. The qualities of Olivier Giroud are far from clear and his value to the team is difficult to define.

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My stance on the Giroud issue is that he does not need to replaced, but should be replaced nonetheless. Giroud still offers plenty of attributes to this team that many do not see. He is criminally undervalued by many, and yet, if Arsenal do not bring in reinforcements, then this Summer transfer window will be a disappointment.

Because of Giroud’s value, however, very specific reinforcements must be brought in. It only makes sense for Arsenal to invest in the right striker, not any striker. Such recruitment must be with great consideration with how the squad is assembled. Bringing in the same type of player as Giroud is poor investment. Bringing in an improvement or an alternative however, is money well spent.

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One such player that Arsenal have been linked with is Juventus forward Alvaro Morata. Some have seen him, not only as a viable replacement for Giroud, but an improvement on Arsenal’s current starting striker. Moarata is expected to swoop in as the savior of Arsenal’s Premier League trophy drought. He is suddenly seen as a world beater, but is he?

Well, if his recent performance for Spain is an any indication, then most certainly not. Arsenal legend Ian Wright criticized Morata’s performance against Czech Republic, stating:

"“I think he’s going to have to learn how Spain do it, because they’ve got so many quality players in that midfield area who can find him.”"

Wright went on to state that Morata’s movement, his tendency to drift wide and away from central areas hurt the Spanish side. The Arsenal legend is absolutely spot on in his assessment of the apparent savior. Morata was poor on Monday against a stubborn and well organized but ultimately low quality Czezh Republic side.

Spain lacked a cutting edge while Morata was on the field, and in all honesty, the ex-Real Madrid star proved that he is not the world class striker that many have been duped into thinking. Simply because he has a half decent scoring record, has played for Real and has a fancy continental name, he is seen as a better player than he actually is.

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Morata is no improvement on Giroud and he is no different. They both offer a focal point to an attack, someone to hold the ball up and bring others into play, but ultimately, Morata is no better at that than Giroud. Morata would be a terrible signing and his recent performance for Spain only proved that much.