Man Utd's bid for Real forward Morata rejected: Report

English football giants Manchester United's bid of 52 million pounds ($67.6 million) for Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata has been rejected, a media report said on Wednesday.

Sky Sports reported that United goalkeeper David de Gea was not included in the offer, while Real Madrid are thought to want in the region of 78 million pound ($100.66 million) for the 24-year-old Morata.

The Spain international has scored 20 goals in all competitions for Real last season, as the club clinched La Liga and the Champions League.

Morata progressed through the Real Madrid academy to make his first team debut in December 2010, before exiting for Juventus in the summer of 2014.

Morata has won two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles and was part of a run to the 2015 Champions League final, scoring as Juventus lost 1-3 to Barcelona in his two seasons with the record Serie A champions.

Later in June 2016, Real Madrid exercised on a buy-back clause to bring Morata back from Juventus for around $34 million. From then the Spamish forward has emerged as a key player of Zinedine Zidane's La Liga squad.

It is learnt that if Manchester United fail to agree a deal for Morata they will try to sign Italian striker Andrea Belotti from Torino, who has a 100 million euro ($112.66m) release clause in his contract.

--IANS

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