Chelsea transfer news: Mateo Kovacic welcomed by Alvaro Morata after loan move from Real Madrid

Welcome friend: Kovacic and Morata played together at Real Madrid
Standard Sport9 August 2018

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has welcomed the club's latest recruit Mateo Kovacic to Stamford Bridge.

Kovacic sealed a season-long loan move to Chelsea on Thursday morning as part of the deal which saw Thibaut Courtois move the other.

Kovacic follows the path trodden by Morata last summer, when the Spain international switched the Bernabeu for Stamford Bridge in a permanent deal.

And Kovacic was thrown straight in on Thursday morning when he joined his new Chelsea team-mates for training at the club's Cobham facility.

But the 24-year-old faces a race to regain full fitness following the World Cup. “I haven't trained a lot at Real Madrid because I badly wanted to come to Chelsea so I didn't do much training," he said. "I will give my best to be ready [as soon as possible].”

It is understood Chelsea do not have an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga has been unveiled as a Chelsea player following his club record £72.1million move from Athletic Bilbao.

Kepa is confident he will not be overwhelmed by his status as the world's most expensive goalkeeper after moving to Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old will fill the void created by Courtois' departure to Real Madrid.

Speaking at a press conference at Stamford Bridge on Thursday afternoon, the 23-year-old shrugged off his price tag.

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