According to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are willing to push for key target Ajax defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez up until the deadline. Ajax are reluctant to sell, but the player wants the move.
Chelsea Push for Key Target Edson Alvarez Before Deadline
How Much Will the Move Cost?
David Ornstein at The Athletic states that Chelsea’s bid comes to just over £40 million. This is a significant sum for the midfielder, but one that Ajax are sure to be pushing for.
The Dutch club have lost a lot of talent in this window, with Antony and Lisandro Martinez already moving to the Premier League. It could take a large outlay to persuade the Amsterdam side to weaken their squad even further.
Who is Edson Alvarez?
The Mexican midfielder has been something of a stalwart of the Eredivisie champions over the past few years, racking up 70 league appearances for the club along with seven goals. He is also a regular in the Mexican national team, with 50 caps. Alvarez would be another part of the vast swarm of players at Cobham heading for Qatar in November.
Alvarez’s main skill is in his strength in the tackle, with more clearances and aerial duel wins per 90 than over 90% of midfielders in the top 5 leagues in Europe. His pass completion rate is also incredible, at 92%. He could be the ideal creative tackler to add depth at Stamford Bridge.
Edson Álvarez is not training with Ajax as the Mexico midfielder wants a move to Chelsea, per @MikeVerweij pic.twitter.com/qogU6emHpT
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 1, 2022
What is the Player Doing to Encourage a Move?
Edson Alvarez is reportedly not training with Ajax and is informing the club of his decision to make the move. Retaining a player that isn’t training is difficult, plus this means that the Mexican has the time to travel to London to secure his move to Thomas Tuchel’s side. With the right resources and plenty of time on their side, Chelsea could secure this move before the end of the day.
