Alvaro Morata's commitment issues show Chelsea have become the club of the mercenary

Chelsea were likely expecting a tough game at the Stadio Olimpico this week, but they didn’t even need to watch until the match itself started for the examination to begin. That came when Alvaro Morata was placed in front of the Italian press following comments made in an interview published that day. There was squirming.

The Chelsea striker was pressed on remarks he made about living in London, with the 25-year-old bemoaning the price of property, among other things, in the capital. “London fascinates me with its multi-ethnicity, the coexistence of cultures and religions, but I do not see myself living here for very long. Too much, too much stress, too many metropolises.”

He went on to admit how he misses Italy and how his wife wants to return to Spain. It prompted Morata, in front of a baying press on Monday, to go somewhat over the top in his commitment to the cause at Chelsea, insisting that he would sign a 10-year contract with the club if it was offered to him. It was a bit like a cheating boyfriend proposing after being caught flirting with another woman.

This episode came after Antonio Conte found himself in a not so dissimilar situation a few weeks ago. Speculation over the Italian’s future at Stamford Bridge continues to swirl, with the former Juventus manager reported to be missing his homeland. Of course, reports of this nature can be traced all the way back to the summer, when there seemed to be a genuine prospect of Conte leaving Chelsea, and the persistence of such claims only lend them further credibility.

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All this underlines how Chelsea have become the club of the mercenary in recent years. Factor in the recent departure of Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid after a drawn out summer transfer saga, and that reputation is cemented. The Blues, more than any of their Premier League adversaries, are the club of the hired gun.

Some might claim that has been the case for over a decade; since the flow of oil billions started to reach the King’s Road direct from Russia. Indeed, Chelsea have been plucking from the top shelf of the transfer market for quite some time now, but that was always underpinned by the longevity of stalwarts like John Terry, Frank Lampard, even big money signings like Branislav Ivanovic and Petr Cech who went on to become mainstays and icons in their own right. Where are those players for Chelsea now?

This isn’t a comment on the Blues’ on the field ability. Since Roman Abramovich’s takeover of the club back in 2003, Chelsea have been England’s most successful team (on the basis of trophies won). Despite his questionable background and motives for buying a Premier League club in the first place, the Russian has proved himself an effective owner. And so there are most likely many at Stamford Bridge who will dismiss concerns over the club’s identity.

But they would be foolish to. For all the millions and billions that swill around the Premier League, identity remains a powerful thing. It’s identity that makes the English top flight so lucrative in the first place. Somewhere along the line, your club must represent something. What do Chelsea currently represent?

This is the issue that comes with such a high turnover of coaches and high profile players. In a sense, it matters little that Chelsea, by and large, continue to win games and remain successful. It’s difficult to imagine that Conte and Morata will stick around for much longer, given their body language and recent remarks. They will join the likes of Costa, Nemanja Matic and others in using Stamford Bridge as a stop-off. That has become the norm for the Blues.

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