The arrival of Jorginho from Napoli has equipped Chelsea with one of the best midfields around, according to Alvaro Morata.
The Brazilian-born Italy international moved to Stamford Bridge last month, having been heavily linked with Premier League champions Manchester City.
He has been joined in west London by his former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri, who replaced Antonio Conte.
And former Real Madrid and Juventus striker Morata feels Jorginho will prove to be a key acquisition as the Blues, champions in 2016-17, seek to improve on a disappointing fifth-place finish in the league last season.
“We’ve made a very good signing, because he’s a fantastic player, a fantastic guy and because Manchester City wanted him! It would have been very bad for us if City has taken him.
“He was one of the best signings of the last year for Chelsea because now, when we have the ball, he is the key.
“There are not too many midfields with this level with the ball – for the strikers it is fantastic.”
Morata has also been wowed by teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been tipped to break into Chelsea’s first team during the campaign ahead.
“I have never seen a player like him,” the Spain international said.
“Ethan Ampadu and him, when you see them playing, it is like they are 25 and 26 years old – and they are 17! They work so hard.
“Callum is lucky with Eden [Hazard], with Willian and all the strikers because they are good people and if he listens and watches Willian, he can be the best for the future.”
Good in the air and at holding up the ball, with clinical finishing ability, quick feet and excellent movement, in his youth Morata drew comparisons to Real Madrid and Spain’s Fernando Morientes due to his playing style. During his first season at Juventus, he stood out for his pace, energy and work-rate on the pitch, while his technique, opportunism and positional sense saw him score several crucial goals.
A versatile and well-rounded forward, Morata is capable of playing as a main striker or linking up play between the lines, and can even play out wide on the wing. He is also an accurate penalty taker.
On 7 November 2014, Morata was called up to senior team manager Vicente del Bosque’s squad for matches against Belarus and Germany. He made his debut against the former on the 15th, replacing Isco for the last ten minutes of a 3–0 win in Huelva for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers; in the same competition, on 27 March 2015, he scored his first senior international goal, the only in a victory over Ukraine in Seville.
Selected for the finals in France, Morata started and scored a brace in a 3–0 group stage win against Turkey in Nice.
On 2 September 2017, coming from the bench in the 77th minute, he netted once to help the hosts defeat Italy 3–0 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
On 21 May 2018, it was announced that Morata would not be part of the World Cup final squad due to poor club form.