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Alvaro Morata has said that he is joining Chelsea because Antonio Conte is the manager who has put "the most faith" in him in his career so far. Morata, 24, is on the verge of joining the Premier League champions from Real Madrid after they confirmed on Wednesday that a deal had been agreed for him to move. The striker, who notched 20 goals for Madrid in all competitions last season, all but confirmed the transfer late on Wednesday night and also spoke in glowing terms of Conte ahead of the proposed move. "I've already spoken to Conte," Morata told AS. "I'm going to the team managed by the coach who has placed the most faith in me, and that's great for me. "I'm not disappointed [at how my return to Madrid went]. I've won four titles here, among those my second Champions League with Madrid but now I only think of putting on the Chelsea shirt. "Thank you very much to all the Madridistas who have supported me. I will always wish the best to Madrid." Born in Madrid, Morata progressed through Los Blancos' academy and made his first-team debut in December 2010, before joining Juventus in the summer of 2014 for £17.5 million. In June 2016, Real Madrid exercised a buy-back clause to bring Morata back from Juventus for £26.2m, but the forward struggled for regular playing time. Morata had been a target of Manchester United earlier in the window, before they signed Romelu Lukaku from Everton instead. "It has been quite a strange summer for me. Many things have happened," Morata added. "In the end tomorrow I am joining a club who have wanted me for many years, with a boss with whom I have spoken constantly, so I am very happy. I have been giving everything in training to be ready for whatever happened. "But I was clear that this [exit] was my objective. It is a pity to leave Madrid, but I hope it all goes well for me at Chelsea." Asked if he could envisage returning to Madrid for a third spell, Morata said: "A third time would be difficult. At the moment I am not thinking about that. "My only thought is to get there as quickly as possible, pass the medical and put on my new jersey. Speaking to Sky Sports News upon arriving at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday, Morata said he'd spoken with fellow Spain international Cesar Azpilicueta about Conte and the club. "This is the best club,'' Morata said. "Antonio Conte is one of the best coaches in the world and I'm so happy to work with Antonio. "[The Premier League is] one of the best leagues in the world and I'm so happy to be here. "I spoke with Azpilicueta and he told me everything is okay and he found it something easy.'' ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan contributed to this report.
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