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Alvaro Morata to Chelsea: Will new arrival do a Fernando Torres or a Diego Costa?

Chelsea’s most expensive strikers in recent history
Image: Chelsea’s most expensive strikers in recent history

Chelsea have once again broken their record transfer fee to bring in a new striker, but Alvaro Morata will need to buck the trend to prove his worth.

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The Blues have completed the signing of Morata from Real Madrid on a five-year contract, for a fee that could rise to £70m, making him their most expensive signing.

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Sky Sports News spoke to Alvaro Morata as he arrived in London ahead of his Chelsea medical

In fact, the top three highest fees Chelsea have paid for players in their history have all been attempts to fill the void at the top end of the pitch.

However, their history of buying strikers suggests throwing money at the problem will not necessarily solve it.

VOTE: Lukaku or Morata?
VOTE: Lukaku or Morata?

Alvaro Morata is on the brink of joining Chelsea, while rivals Man Utd signed Romelu Lukaku earlier this month. But who represents better value?

Diego Costa may not have been a snip at £32.3m, but last season's top goalscorer - who has been told he is not in Antonio Conte's plans for the new campaign - has proved better value for money than those who required more sizeable sums...

Fernando Torres

It would be fair to say Liverpool got a better deal on selling Torres. Arriving at Stamford Bridge for just short of £50m after a summer in which he won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, the Kop had lost a cult hero to their Premier League rivals.

Fernando Torres of Chelsea
Image: Fernando Torres was previously Chelsea's record transfer

Despite scoring more than once every two games on Merseyside, El Nino's storming start to the Premier League blew over by the time they reached west London.

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Torres managed just 20 Premier League goals at Chelsea, failing to reach double figures in any of his three and a half seasons at the club.

Morata told Sky Sports News he asked compatriot Torres for advice before deciding on a move to Chelsea. He may not be the best person to ask.

Andriy Shevchenko

Long AC Milan's hero No 7, Shevchenko's arrival at Chelsea - for close to £39m - looked to be money well spent.

Once the world's most fearsome striker, ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO may be the biggest Premier League flop ever. CHELSEA traded £30.8m for 22 goals in 76 games.
Image: Andriy Shevchenko scored just nine Premier League goals for Chelsea

Shevchenko had scored 127 goals in 193 Serie A games for Milan, and with a Champions League medal already in his locker, the forward brought the promise of European glory owner Roman Abramovich always craved.

Months after becoming Milan's all-time record goalscorer, Shevchenko's switch to Chelsea in 2006 was followed by just four goals in 30 Premier League appearances for the Blues in his first season at the club.

Chelsea's strikers - value for money?

Player Cost per goal
Fernando Torres £1m per goal
Andriy Shevchenko £0.5m per goal
Diego Costa £360k per goal

Chelsea stuck with their misfiring forward the following campaign, while sacked Jose Mourinho paid the price, but the Ukrainian's efforts still went wayward and Shevchenko left in 2008.

Michy Batshuayi?

While the 23-year-old has only just finished his first season at Chelsea, the club's signing of Morata hints Conte is not willing to rely on the Belgium international when Costa does leave the club.

Michy Batshuayi during the English League Cup second round
Image: Michy Batshuayi was bought for £33m last summer, but has failed to earn a starting role at Chelsea

Signing for more than £33m last summer, Batshuayi got off to a flyer with three goals in his first three games for the club last August, but then failed to find the net again in 2016.

The striker did seal Chelsea's Premier League title with the winner against West Brom in May, sparking a late flurry at the end of the campaign, but Batshuayi's five top-flight goals overall have each cost a hefty figure.

Alvaro Morata's 15 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in 2016/17 resulted in the team winning an additional 13 points
Image: Alvaro Morata's 15 La Liga goals for Real Madrid in 2016/17 resulted in the team winning an additional 13 points

Meanwhile, Costa's goals earned more points than any other Premier League player last season, despite Harry Kane hitting nine more overall, making the Blues forward something of a bargain.

Morata will cost the club a lot more, but while money does not always guarantee success, the striker has been tipped for a bright future at Chelsea by Sky Sports Spanish football expert Terry Gibson.

"Chelsea are getting a top-class striker," he said. "Morata is a dynamic striker that works the channels, he's got a great first touch and he'll control the ball where it is knocked up to him and he's good at attacking crosses - those attributes lend to doing well in the Premier League."

Morata may yet break Chelsea's bad luck with the big bucks.

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