Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has revealed that there were interests from several clubs to get his signature during the summer, but his heart was always set on joining the Premier League winners.
In his first interview with a British newspaper since joining from Real Madrid for £58m making him the most expensive Spanish player in the world, Morata told the Dailymail how he had offers from Manchester United and other clubs but it was Antonio Conte's side where he wanted to come.
Prior to his switch to Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard was touted to reunite with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford. The deal collapsed after United failed to reach an agreement with Real and the Red Devils completed the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Everton instead.
"I spoke with Conte several times - and not only this summer. I felt in debt to him. He signed me for Juventus but left very quickly to manage Italy," Morata told the Daily Mail.
"I always wanted to play for him after that. It was only two months with him but it felt like I'd known him forever. When I knew he wanted me this summer, I didn't think twice. I did everything I could to make the move happen"
The Spain international had an indifferent start to life in England, that saw a lot of criticism after he missed a penalty in the shootout as Chelsea lost against rivals Arsenal in the community shield, followed the opening weekend loss in the premier league at home to Burnley.
"When I first came, I felt a lot of pressure. The price tag is a big deal. I missed an important penalty in the Community Shield," he said.
"I knew straight away I would need to grit my teeth and that there would be a load of criticism. It only made me more determined to prove any critics wrong and work harder than ever before."
Morata started the 3-2 defeat against Burnley on the bench but came on to score. Conte immediately set him on a weight gaining programme and Morata has added muscle without sacrificing pace. He has scored three goals and provided two assists already.
At one stage, it seemed Morata would be destined for Manchester United to be reunited with Mourinho, the man who took him on three pre-season tours as a teenager and gave him his Real Madrid debut. So was there contact from Mourinho?
"I had various offers this summer, not only Chelsea and Manchester United but also from different leagues. It was a good situation for me. The most important and best conversation I had was with Conte, he wanted me to come here," the former Juventus man explained.
Hi coach at Real wanted him to stay in Madrid, he says: "Zidane wanted me to stay and I was happy in Madrid.
But I couldn't stay to be a substitute. You reach a point that you need to play, to grow up, and escape a comfort zone. It's about being comfortable. I don't want that. I am ambitious and hungry to succeed.
"For Spain, the more I play, the more goals I score, the more chance I have of making the World Cup and starting games."
