Morata was my first choice – Conte insists

Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte, has insisted that Alvaro Morata was his first choice, when it came to getting a new striker this summer.

Morata is set to become the Blues’ record signing, after a fee in the region of £70million was agreed with Real Madrid.

Conte was reportedly angered after Manchester United snapped up ex-Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku for £75m from Everton earlier this month, but he told a news conference in Beijing that Morata was always his primary target.

“It is very important, the choice. Morata, for sure, is our first choice,” the former Juventus manager said.

“He is a good player, the right prospect for Chelsea and hopes to show his value with us.

“I think for sure this is a good signing for us, he is a young player but has a lot of experience, he went to Juventus and Real Madrid. He has a lot of experience and I think this is a good signing for us.”