Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata admits he could have partnered Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur but denies he was put off by the Englishman.
Morata left Real Madrid for Chelsea last summer in a deal worth €70m, but Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino claimed earlier in the season that the 25-year-old had rejected a move to North London due to the presence of Kane.
Replying to that claim, the former Juventus attacker told Sky Sports: “No it’s not true.
“I spoke with him and he said he wanted both [of us] to play together, but there was no chance to come to Tottenham.
“For sure I would like to play with Kane, he’s a big player, one of the best strikers in the world, but in this moment when I spoke with him [Pochettino] there was no chance to leave Real Madrid.”
Morata has weighed in with 12 goals since replacing Diego Costa as the Blues’ No 9, and he revealed the Atletico Madrid new boy had helped him adjust to life in the Premier League.
“He is a very good player and a good man too. I’m Diego’s friend and when I came here I knew that is was a big responsibility to replace him, but I’ve tried to do well,” he added.
“Always when we are together in the Spanish team, we talk about football and life. We talk about everything and I always say thanks to Diego.
“It’s a good thing in England, and important for a striker to be good in the air. But I think I can do better with the head and the feet.
“In Spain or Italy the game is not like this, but here there are many crosses and it’s better for this.
“But I can score more goals. I had many chances in the Premier League and Champions League and I need to improve. It’s my first year here but I think I can do better and I need to do that.
“Always I can improve something. I’m not perfect, if there’s one thing that I can improve then I try to look for that and work every day to do so.”
