
Chelsea
boss Antonio Conte claims Alvaro Morata is almost the complete player, but
says the striker needs to be more aggressive on the pitch.
Conte was reluctant to discuss Diego Costa, who is on the verge of joining
Atletico Madrid, but he did suggest Morata would benefit from being more
like his predecessor as Chelsea's leading striker.
Chelsea head coach Conte thanked Costa for his contribution - 59 goals in
120 appearances, two Premier League titles and a League Cup win - during his
three years at Stamford Bridge.
But that was as far as he was willing to go after it was agreed on Thursday
that the 28-year-old Brazil-born Spain striker would rejoin Atletico for a
reported fee in the region of £58m.
Asked about his replacement Morata, who has scored three goals since joining
from Real Madrid in the summer, Conte was more talkative.
Conte reckons "very polite" Morata can be more aggressive on the field, an
aspect of the game Costa relished.
"I like him (Morata) because he's a complete player and also he has a lot of
room to improve in every situation," Conte said.
"When I speak about a lot of room for improvement it also means this aspect,
to be more (aggressive)."
Conte described Morata as the type of person a father would welcome with
open arms if the 24-year-old were to come home with their daughter.
A smiling Conte stressed he was not talking about his own daughter Vittoria,
who is not yet a teenager.
"If you have a daughter you hope for this type of person (to be) with your
daughter, to marry your daughter," said Conte, who also praised Morata's
goalscoring instinct.
"He's a good finisher, he feels the goal in every moment."
Costa's public reputation as arch-antagonist contrasts with his private one
and he was popular behind the scenes at Chelsea.
Despite Costa's Chelsea career ending in acrimony, Conte insisted he would
shake hands with the striker in future.
"I have no problem," Conte added.
"We want to thank him for what he did with this club. We wish him all the
best for the future.
"I'm not interested to continue talking about this issue. There is a lack of
respect for my players because Diego is an Atletico player."
Chelsea play at Atletico next Wednesday in Champions League Group C, and all
parties will be relieved the matter has been resolved.
With Atletico under a transfer embargo and unable to register new players
until January, Costa will have to wait to wear the red and white stripes
again.
The deal is initially a loan until the end of the season with a commitment
to buy.
Chelsea play three games in eight days, with the Atletico game between
Premier League fixtures with Stoke and Manchester City.