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Chelsea: Blues ‘came close’ to signing Edson Alvarez
Chelsea ‘came close’ to bringing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez to the Premier League last summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The Lowdown: £43m offer tabled
Graham Potter was reportedly targeting new central reinforcements as potential replacements for N’Golo Kante, who is out of contract at the end of the season, alongside Jorginho before he completed his move to Arsenal in January.
The Mexican was the subject of a £43m offer from the Blues in 2022 but a deal failed to materialise as a result of his side not having a successor lined up, which resulted in the SW6 outfit signing Enzo Fernandez for a staggering £106.8m.
The Latest: Jacobs’ comments
According to Jacobs (via CaughtOffside), Chelsea promised Alvarez that they would make a second attempt to sign him in the next available window, which was last month, but that didn’t happen.
“Edson Alvarez is another name who could be on the move this summer.
“Chelsea came close to signing the Ajax midfielder last summer, but the club refused a move despite Alvarez pushing for it. Todd Boehly did tell Alvarez at the time he’d be back, but never returned.
“This is understandable given a new recruitment team came in and the club became obsessed with Enzo Fernandez. Plus, Denis Zakaria impressed before his injury and will return to full fitness soon.”
Should Chelsea have made another move for Alvarez?
Yes
No
The Verdict: Correct decision
Alvarez has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by journalist Felipe Cardenas, but Chelsea’s decision not to submit another bid was completely the right one.
Fernandez’s transfer required the devotion of so much money and attention, and considering the fact that the Argentine can play in defensive, central and attacking midfield, the 25-year-old Alvarez probably wouldn’t have got a look in anyway.
Fernandez arrives at Stamford Bridge as a World Cup winner and as a player who was recognised for his own individual performances, making him a name that the boss would have to include on his team sheet week in, week out.
Alvarez meanwhile ranks highly on a number of key defensive metrics, but coming from an inferior league would likely have needed more time to settle into English football.
