Former Chelsea striker emerges as loan target for Man United

Manchester United travel to Wolves on Saturday knowing that a win would move them into the top four of the Premier League. 

The Red Devils currently sit fifth, one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who don’t play until Sunday.

That means that victory at Molineux would move Erik ten Hag’s side into the Champions League qualification places for at least 24 hours.

United played their first league game since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure on Tuesday, when they beat Nottingham Forest 3-0.

Marcus Rashford was in fine form for The Red Devils, but it appears that the club are still considering moving for a striker during the upcoming January transfer window.

According to ESPN, United are considering a move for former Chelsea man Alvaro Morata.

The Spanish striker, who currently plays for Atletico Madrid, could emerge as a loan option for United.

No offer has yet been made for the Spaniard, but United are reportedly considering launching a loan move next month as they look for a short-term solution to their lack of attacking options.

Morata, 30, joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2017 but struggled during his time in London.

Morata was part of the Spain squad for the World Cup in Qatar

The striker scored 24 goals in 72 matches for The Blues, before being loaned to Atletico in January 2019 and joining the Spanish side permanently 18 months later.

Since leaving England, Morata has also spent time in Italy with Juventus, returning to his former side on a two-year loan deal.

He returned to Atletico over the summer and has scored six goals in 15 La Liga games so far this term.

That run of form was enough for him to be selected by Luis Enrique in the Spain squad for the World Cup in Qatar, and Morata scored three goals at the tournament despite only starting one match.

The player is currently contracted to Atletico until the summer of 2024, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Spanish giants are intent on keeping hold of him beyond that date.