Premier League Says Chelsea was preferred destination

There is no doubt in Alvaro Morata's mind that he must live up to his price tag at Chelsea, with the player aware of the significance of his penalty miss in the Community Shield shootout against Arsenal last weekend.

Ready to get up to speed as soon as possible, he is excited about life at Stamford Bridge, as he explained in an interview with MARCA.

Have you had time to adjust to Chelsea?

"Yes. It has been a long and strange summer, in which I had to make some decisions, so I wasn't fresh and couldn't initially train well. The day that I signed I had to travel halfway across the world, from Los Angeles to Singapore, then going to London to train, so it was difficult. Now I must adapt to a new team, with a new very tactical Italian coach, who makes many changes. But I am adapting and I'm keen to play. I hope this shows on the pitch."

What do you think will be most difficult for you from a tactical point of view?

"Adapting to the Italian style, which is much more tactical, and crazy. Here I must do it through the system of the team, which is as if it were Italian, as a result of who the coach is. I need to understand [Antonio] Conte well, as he is asking me to do the opposite of what past coaches have asked me. I will play in different positions and as part of different schemes. I have already understood this change and from then on it's easier."

You're already good at two aspects of the Premier League, headed goals and losing your marker...

"Yes, but that's not the thing that Conte is asking me to do. I don't think there'll be a need to adapt myself to the Premier League, rather there'll be a need to adapt to my coach. He's not asking me to make the usual movements of a striker, like playing with my back or arriving to header. He's not only asking me to do that."

You had various offers, so was Conte's call essential?

"I knew that Conte wanted me and I'd spoken with him several times. In a certain way, I feel like I owed him something because he was the one who signed me for Juventus, only for him to have to leave. At the start I wasn't aware that he had so much interest in signing me, but when I understood it then I had no doubts and [Chelsea] was my preference."

Do you think the transfer fee of 80 million euros will weigh heavy on you?

"I can admit that it is a very significant amount, but I have the character to be able to play calmly and to follow my path. I have only played two pre-season matches, I've played 15 official minutes and I've missed a penalty [in the Community Shield shootout] and they're already killing me, so I know what to expect. That's the price you must pay for such a big transfer. It's also something that motivates me, that makes me work harder every day and that makes me spend an hour longer at the training ground. I know that double the number of people are now watching me."

Was the 2018 World Cup a reason for your Real Madrid exit?

"I think I had to leave Real Madrid. It was a difficult situation and I know it, because it meant leaving the team which had been my home and a team which is winning everything right now. But it was a personal decision and one to do with sporting ambition. If it was for my teammates I'd have stayed, but I couldn't be satisfied. I left because I want to triumph in football and do impressive things and I'm in the best spot to do that."

You said it'd be difficult to return to Real Madrid a third time. Is that true?

"Being realistic, to return there again after being sold for such a fee would mean an even larger fee. I don't think Chelsea will give me away. It's really only because of the matter of transfer fees that it'd be difficult to return, although nothing is impossible in life."

You didn't celebrate a goal against Real Madrid with Juventus. Will you continue not to do so?

"Of course, and I think that's an easy response."

Did you celebrate the UEFA Super Cup triumph?

"As soon as the match finished I sent a message to the Whatsapp group we had as a team. It gave me a healthy amount of jealousy. As long as they're not playing against us, I'll always want Real Madrid to win."

What goals tally would you be satisfied with this year?

"I hope to score more than 20 goals, as that's my job. I also won't become obsessed with it as I'd trade that for titles for the team. At Juventus, for example, I didn't score more than 20 goals in any year and won all titles except the Champions League final. I want to score goals, but a player can also be remembered for other aspects of play."