Report: Chelsea close to sensational Morata signing

A potential £75-million deal to send Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata to Chelsea is "done," sources told The Telegraph's Matt Law.

Wednesday's development certainly ends the hopes of AC Milan in the race to sign the 24-year-old.

Earlier this week, the resurgent Italian side was reportedly close to reaching an agreement with Los Blancos for Morata.

Manchester United also made an attempt to lure the Spanish international to Old Trafford, but elected to sign Romelu Lukaku instead.

That sent the dominoes falling. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who had allegedly earmarked Lukaku as the man to replace the disgruntled Diego Costa, suddenly needed a top-tier striker to lead the Premier League champion on both domestic and European fronts.

Chelsea had also been linked with Torino hotshot Andrea Belotti and Borussia Dortmund speed merchant Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The two, however, have proven tough to get. Torino has asked foreign clubs to pay a near-prohibitive €100-million (£88 million) for Belotti, while BVB has removed Aubameyang from the transfer market.

Morata's name has churned through the rumour mill all summer, despite the steep asking price.

Conte's good relationship with Morata may have facilitated the deal. He was the one who recruited Morata to Juventus in 2014, but left the club before he could ever coach the player.

"I feel indebted to him because he's the coach that most trusted in me, most wanted me, who made me feel I could perform at the highest level. And yet I've never had the fortune to actually work with him," Morata told the Guardian's Sid Lowe in an April interview.

Morata returned to his hometown after two years with Juventus and managed to score 15 goals in La Liga last season without the luxury of regular playing time.

He finished ahead of Karim Benzema in team scoring.