Alvaro Morata would be wrong to leave Chelsea for Atletico Madrid, according to former midfielder Bernd Schuster.
Striker Morata is expected to depart Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes after the Premier League club brought in Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus.
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri confirmed this week that Morata informed the club last month that he wanted to leave, just 18 months on from his reported £60million arrival from Real Madrid.
Atletico have been tipped to sign the Spain international, but Schuster, twice a Copa del Rey winner in three years at the club, thinks such a move would be unwise.
Indeed, the former Madrid player and head coach thinks Morata should have stayed at the Santiago Bernabeu.
7 - Alvaro Morata scored seven goals in his first eight appearances for Chelsea in 2017-18, converting 26% of shots. In his 40 games for Chelsea in 2017-18 after this period, he netted eight goals with a 9% conversion rate. Drop. pic.twitter.com/r95S8wBMxe— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 4 September 2018
"I'm surprised by Morata's arrival at Atleti," he told Onda Cero. "I don't know if they're the team for him. I think Morata was wrong to leave Madrid. He didn't have patience."
Schuster was speaking after Madrid beat Girona 4-2 in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, fighting back from 1-0 down thanks to goals from Lucas Vazquez, Karim Benzema and two from Sergio Ramos.
Marcelo, whose future has been the subject of recent speculation, set up Ramos to score Madrid's crucial third goal after having failed to track Antony Lozano for Girona's seventh-minute opener.
Schuster accused Marcelo this week of getting "fat easily" when he does not play, but he praised the Brazil international's impact.
"Bringing in Marcelo was very positive, although he is still not at 100 per cent, which showed in Girona's first goal," he said. "But you have to put him in. He has to play. He's an indisputable first-choice."
However, Schuster is in no doubt that Madrid are suffering from the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left for Juventus in a €112million deal last year.
"What they miss at Madrid is a player who gets 45-50 goals," he added.
