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Simeone effect
"Alvaro has fantastic assets that suit our game. Hopefully he can continue the way he has started," Atletico boss Diego Simeone said recently.
Strong in the air, hardly sluggish, good with his feet and, at his best, decisive in front of goal, Morata has still struggled to convince an impressive list of managers he is a striker to rely on.
Struggles in Chelsea
From Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, to Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus, and Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, none were prepared to make him their number one for an extended period of time.
At Chelsea, the contrast was all the more stark given he followed Diego Costa and, less directly, Didier Drogba, who each set the standard for the kind of warrior-striker that not only scores goals but fights, harries and hurts the opposition too.
More sympathy
In that sense, Morata will not find any more sympathy at Atletico, where Costa has returned and is now his rival for a place alongside Antoine Griezmann, who would surely post more remarkable figures himself, were he not asked to do so much defensive work.
But Simeone has welcomed Morata with open arms, supporting him before he even arrived while a minority of fans scoffed at his history with Real Madrid.
Home feeling
For Morata too, feeling at home is likely less about the past and more about the present, a fresh start and the chance to feel wanted again.
"Sometimes you take a lot of turns and I needed a group like this, a coach and a team that trust me," Morata said. "I'm finally here.
