Arsenal have ‘encountered problem’ in efforts to sign striker – Club would ‘prefer’ to sell to them

Atlético Madrid would ‘prefer’ to sell Alvaro Morata to Arsenal this summer but need to convince the striker into a return to London.

That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who say the Gunners have ‘encountered a problem’ in their efforts to sign Morata.

Arsenal are known to be keen to sign a striker in the summer after selling Pierre Emerick Aubameyang in the January transfer window.

Alexandre Lacazette is set to leave on a free as well, leaving Mikel Arteta short of forward options; an issue he is keen to rectify.

Morata has been named as a target, with his loan deal at Juventus set to expire and Atlético keen to sell him if they can.

Mundo back that up and actually say that Arsenal would be their preferred buyers, but they have ‘encountered a problem’ on that front.

That’s Morata’s bad experience with Chelsea in 2017, which was ‘little short of a nightmare’ in which neither he nor his family could settle in London and endured a ‘really hard time’.

It was so bad, in fact, that Morata has admitted he had to seek psychological help to overcome the issue, and he’s not that keen on a return to London with Arsenal as a result.

That, therefore, is a ‘barrier’ that both Atlético, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will have to overcome if they are to get a deal done, but at the moment, it is something that is not playing in their favour.