It all started so well for Alvaro Morata at Chelsea, didn't it?

By the time he'd scored the winner against Manchester United and bagged a hat-trick at Stoke City, fans were confident they made the right choice over Romelu Lukaku and keeping Diego Costa.

However, fast forward 18 months and Morata's time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to a close already amid a lack of consistent goalscoring form.

Although 24 goals across 75 appearances isn't the worst return in the world, the Spaniard has lacked confidence in west London and has wasted a number of huge opportunities throughout his spell.

And with Chelsea struggling for goals across the board, it's clear that Maurizio Sarri wants an upgrade upon his current lead striker and the alteration could come as soon as January.

Morata closing in on Chelsea exit

Goal reported this week that Atletico Madrid have joined the race for his signature and Sevilla are currently in negotiations for a loan deal with a permanent transfer clause.

However, the latter club has admitted that discussions with Chelsea have proven 'very, very complicated' and it seems the Blues are waiting to confirm a replacement.

Although Olivier Giroud has shown promise since leaving Arsenal, he hasn't been consistent enough in front of goal to succeed where Morata has so often failed.

Chelsea's three replacements

As a result, Chelsea are already starting to prepare for Morata's exit and according to the Telegraph, they have three replacements on their radar at the moment.

The big name on the list is Gonzalo Higuain. The Juventus loanee is believed to be Sarri's favourite for the role and negotiations are underway to cut his spell with AC Milan short.

Callum Wilson is the next man on the list, although the Bournemouth star could reportedly cost as much as £70 million if Chelsea make an approach.

Then, surprisingly, there's Jamie Vardy.

Although there's nothing concrete at this stage, the Telegraph have confirmed that the Leicester City man is being considered by Chelsea and could be an unlikely replacement for Morata.

There is no questioning Vardy's goalscoring prowess in the Premier League, but signing a 31-year-old with fewer goals than Morata this season would prove a bizarre move.

However, fans will also have their reservations about the alternatives and Chelsea will struggle to bag themselves a world-class striker during the January window. 

Selling Morata might seem like the best solution for both parties yet - even for all his faults - it creates a number of problems at the club.

The report explains that Chelsea players are convinced that Morata is 'desperate' to leave and his agent has travelled to London for a series of talks.

It just depends on replacements. Watch this space.

Chelsea fans, who would you replace Morata with this month? Have your say in the comments section below.