Chelsea star Alvaro Morata in talks with Atletico Madrid

Bengaluru, January 16: Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata is in talks with Atletico Madrid ahead of a move back to Spain, according to reports in England.

The Chelsea striker, 26, has struggled for form since arriving at Stamford Bridge at the beginning of last season even though he enjoyed quite a good start to life in England.

There were suggestions that a shock loan move to Barcelona may be on the cards but it looks like a permanent transfer to Diego Simeone's side is close at the moment. It is understood a fee is yet to be finalised for the forward but he was spotted in Spain on Sunday night.

Morata made a name for himself when he broke through the ranks at Real Madrid before heading to Juventus and then returning to Los Blancos.

But it was actually at Atletico Madrid that he began his football career, playing in the youth set-up there between 2005 and 2007, and left aged 15 to join Getafe for a year.

The Spanish international is under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2022, but he is clearly unhappy and is believed to want a return to Spain.

His wife Alice Campello took to Instagram to fuel talk of an exit at the weekend when she posted a picture with Morata in a car and then showing a motorway sign for Gatwick Airport.

He has just five Premier League goals this season and has been left out of the squad by Sarri in recent weeks.

The Spaniard has played just two of the last seven league matches and was not even in the matchday squad for the other five, including on Saturday against Newcastle.

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has opted against playing a recognised striker, instead playing Eden Hazard in a 'false 9' role.

Reports state that Morata is prepared to take a significant pay-cut to join Atletico, showing just how desperate he is to leave. He is currently earning around £8million per year at Chelsea. Even so, Atletico are understood to need to offload some players in order to comply with their wage budget limit.

Gelson Martins and Nikola Kalinic are two of the names tipped to make way and clear up some of the funds.