Could this Real Madrid star force Alvaro Morata into Arsenal’s hands?

Arsenal supporters are desperate to find out who their reinforcement up front this January will be, and one name in particular that is constantly linked with the club is Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata. Madrid’s own lack of bodies at centre-forward have left them reluctant to let Morata leave even on loan, but in recent weeks the emergence of fellow academy graduate Jese Rodriguez has pushed the Arsenal target further down the pecking order at the Bernabeu. Could that play into Arsene Wenger’s hands? talkSPORT investigates...

At the start of the season there was little doubt over which player pundits expected to play more for Madrid in 2013/14 out of Morata and Jese. Last year, Morata ran out for the seniors on 15 occasions, scoring two goals, while Jese only played for them twice, failing to score. On the other hand, that same season, Jese played for Madrid’s B team, Castilla, 38 times in the Spanish second division, while Morata appeared for them 18 times. Morata’s more regular appearances for the Madrid seniors, combined with his key role for Spain in their U21 European Championship win last summer meant he, not Jese, was the favourite to see regular first team football following the departure of Gonzalo Higuain to Napoli.

Both players started the season playing relatively rarely. Morata, however, was the first to turn Carlo Ancelotti’s head. His assist after coming on as a substitute against FC Copenhagen at the start of October was followed by a goal from the bench against Levante a few days later, and as a result, he was handed a La Liga start against Malaga on October 19th.

Somewhat ironically, it was around that game that the momentum began to shift in Jese’s favour. Despite plenty of effort, Morata failed to score against Malaga, missing a couple of decent chances, and was hauled off with 75 minutes played. In Madrid’s next league game against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, tellingly, Carlo Ancelotti opted to leave Morata out of the match-day squad, but did include Jese, and the youngster came off the bench to score Madrid’s only goal in stoppage time after a lung-bursting run from his own half.

That goal really grabbed the attention of supporters and the Madrid media alike, and Morata struggled to match that attention in his next few games. Even when the striker managed to score after coming off the bench in a 5-0 route of Almeria, Jese assisted two goals of his own in the game, taking home his fair share of the plaudits. With the two neck and neck, Morata could no doubt see his place in the Madrid pecking order slipping, and needed a response.

So far, it hasn’t arrived, and instead, it is Jese who has delivered the goods. In Madrid’s 22 December fixture against Valencia, the 20-year-old scored the winner after coming on as a substitute at the Mestalla, with the two teams neck and neck for 20 minutes prior to his appearance. In his next game for Madrid he came off the bench to deliver an assist against Celta Vigo, changing what was until then a difficult game for the home side with his energy, directness and composure in the box. Then, in Madrid’s glamour friendly against PSG over the New Year period, the forward scored the only goal of the game, taking home the plaudits over the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo. Having scored Madrid’s last goal of 2013 against Valencia, then their first of 2014 against PSG, seemingly, Jese could do no wrong. Meanwhile, Morata remained in the shadows.

In Madrid’s most recent game, a Copa del Rey clash with Osasuna, the role reversal between the two forwards was confirmed. While Morata started the game on the bench, and would only appear on the pitch with nine minutes to play, Jese was handed a start, scoring his side’s second goal in the 60th minute, and was only withdrawn from the pitch due to an injury problem. The following day, he adorned the front cover of AS, with team mate Alvaro Arbeloa noting that he is ‘playing at an exceptional level for a lad who’s 20-years-old’.

Evidently, things aren’t looking great for Morata at Madrid these days if he hopes to play regular football until the end of the season. Karim Benzema is a fundamental part of Carlo Ancelotti’s system, while Jese is now the Italian’s favoured alternative to the French striker, so a loan move increasingly looks the most viable option for the U21 European champion. Carlo Ancelotti last night insisted he doesn’t want to let Morata leave, but the Italian may simply be being careful to avoid making the striker’s mind up for him, mindful that Jese has yet to undergo tests on the injury he picked up against Osasuna. If that niggle proves to be a problem for the long term, Morata may yet find a spot opens up for him in the team. On the other hand, if it proves to only be a minor knock, the Arsenal target will likely remain in the shadow of his contemporary in the coming months. The next few days should reveal a large part of how he story will play out.