Morata explains why he left Milan for Galatasaray: ‘I came for Fonseca’ | OneFootball

Alvaro Morata has gone on record to explain why he decided to leave Milan to join Galatasaray after half a season back in Serie A, and has expressed his interest in staying on in Turkey and in the Champions League.

The Spaniard joined Milan in the summer transfer window after the Rossoneri paid the €13m fee to activate the release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract. However, his tenure in San Siro lasted just over six months before he was on the move again, joining Galatasaray on a year-long loan with an option to buy.

Milan overhauled their attacking department in the January transfer window by securing exits for both Morata and Noah Okafor, while bringing in Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord, Joao Felix from Chelsea and Riccardo Sottil from Fiorentina.

Morata will stay on with Galatasaray until January 2026, at which point the club will have an option to make the move permanent for €8m. Galatasaray can also extend the loan agreement until the summer of 2026 for a further €3m, and will have another option to buy for a fee of €9m at the end of that season.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – FEBRUARY 9: Alvaro Morata of Galatasaray celebrates with his teammate Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray after scoring his team’s first goal during the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Adana Demirspor at Rams Park Stadium on February 9, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

Why Morata left Atletico for Milan and Milan for Galatasaray

In an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Morata explained why he decided to leave Atletico Madrid in the summer, and then leave Milan just a few months later.

“Football circumstances,” he explained.

“In the end, everyone has to think about themselves. It’s easy to give an opinion, but if everything goes well, I’ll be playing in the Champions League next season and that’s something that’s important for me. I wanted to continue competing at the highest level in Europe, which is not easy.

Does he have any regrets about leaving Atletico, especially after winning the EUROS as captain of Spain over the summer?

TOPSHOT – Spain forward #07 Alvaro Morata kisses the trophy after winning the UEFA Euro 2024 final football match between Spain and England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on July 14, 2024. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP) (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)

“At that point, it was what my body and mind was asking for. There are times when you make decisions at the right time, but I think, if I take a step back, I realise that the fans had managed to understand me in a way, and after the European Championship, people in Spain started to see my in a different way, but these are decisions that have already been made.”

Morata went on to explain that he joined Milan to play under Fonseca, and no longer felt right after the Portuguese was dismissed at the end of December.

“I went to Milan because of the coach, who showed me that he loved me a lot. But after a few months, a project that seemed like one thing can become different because of the football itself. In the end, I wasn’t as comfortable because I had gone there for Fonseca.”