Morata joins Como, finally here we are. Milan pays Galata €4 million to terminate his loan.

It was a long and drawn-out affair, but in the end, it was resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. We're talking about the Morata soap opera, promised to Como a month and a half ago but blocked by Galatasaray, to whom he was tied on loan from AC Milan. It was... in the past tense, because yesterday the issue was resolved. The parties are still haggling over the details of the transfer fee and terms: the Turkish club is expected to receive €4 million from AC Milan for terminating his loan; the Rossoneri will receive €12 million from Como for the player's contract, which will tie them to the Como club permanently, presumably until 2028. It's unlikely, but not impossible, that Alvaro, who is currently on vacation in Spain, will be able to join his new teammates by the end of this week. On Sunday evening, Como will face Barcelona in the Gamper Trophy. What better opportunity to make his debut, even if only for a few minutes, against his lifelong rivals: 15 previous encounters, including seven for Real Madrid. In short, a new El Clasico for Alvaro.

AC Milan signed him from Atlético Madrid last July, paying the Colchoneros a €13 million release clause. His third trip to Italy, after his stints with Juventus in 2014-16 and 2020-22, was a bit of a flop. These are his words to Gazzetta dello Sport before bidding farewell to AC Milan: "Things happened there that I had never experienced in my career and that I prefer to keep to myself. I no longer felt comfortable, and before they became a problem, I left." In six months with AC Milan, he made 25 appearances and scored six goals (two assists) in all competitions, averaging one goal every 279 minutes. On February 2, 2025, he signed with Galatasaray for a one-year loan worth €6 million with an option to buy for €8 million. His numbers in Turkey were much better: seven goals in 16 games, with three assists, and a goals-per-minute average that doubled to 122.

"Istanbul has welcomed us with so much love. The people in Turkey are very warm and friendly, and we feel right at home," Alice Campello, Morata's wife, assured him during his time at Galatasaray. But her decision to return to Italy would have been influenced by her business career, split between Milan and Madrid. So here comes the perfect opportunity: a chat with her friend Fabregas, a teammate of hers who has played many games for the national team and at Chelsea. The Catalan enthusiastically explains Como's ambitious project and the possibility of becoming an integral part of it. An experienced center-forward like him would be the icing on the cake for making the definitive leap in quality in Serie A, perhaps even competing for European qualification, after an excellent first season that ended with a tenth-place finish. Fabregas manages a handful of strong but still young forwards: Paz, Diao, Douvikas, and Azon arrived last season; Rodriguez, Addai, Kuhn, and Baturina are the newcomers.

Meanwhile, speaking of strikers, Como is enjoying Ivan Azon, who scored the winning goal on Wednesday against Betis, his fourth of preseason. Because of his ability to score decisive goals, the Spaniard is nicknamed El Tiburon, or the Shark. The twenty-two-year-old arrived permanently from Zaragoza in February for €2 million. Como was supposed to sign him this summer, but since he was dealing with a serious calf injury, they decided to bring forward his arrival to support his recovery and give him time to settle in. This demonstrates their belief in the player. In this transfer window, Azon has attracted interest from Valencia and especially Ipswich, who have entered into a relationship with the two clubs to negotiate a possible loan deal. But at this point, Fabregas is thinking…