Edson Alvarez is one of the major stories of transfer deadline day as Chelsea aims to sign the Ajax midfielder to help deal with their midfield issues.
A new update from Jason Burt of The Telegraph indicates that the deal is completely off as Ajax have told The Blues that they “will not sell” the midfielder despite a £43 million bid being made. The player missed training on deadline day which The Telegraph suggests was an attempted “strike” to force a move.
Ajax Will Not Sell Edson Alvarez
Transfer deadline day 2022 live: Ajax tell Chelsea they will not sell Edson Alvarez. Deal looks off. Chelsea now considering other midfield options https://t.co/IbWJd61ebM via @telefootball
— Jason Burt (@JBurtTelegraph) September 1, 2022
No Deal
Despite the Mexican international angling for the move, he has been told no because his suitors have left it too late. One major issue was always going to be the Dutch champions’ inability to replace the 24-year-old. The transfer window for Dutch teams closed on August 31, as opposed to September 1 like the Premier League.
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The window closing early has had a knock-on effect for The Blues and their hopes to reinforce their midfield.
Chelsea's move for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez is in doubt as the Dutch club don't want to let another of their players go. (Sky Sports)#Transfers #DeadlineDay #PenyenyeViwanjani pic.twitter.com/gYd5oLQHmE
— Isaac Waihenya (@IsaacWaihenya) September 1, 2022
Chelsea Search for Reinforcements
With this deal reportedly off the club are now “frantically looking at other options” as they aim to add a midfielder to alleviate Thomas Tuchel’s latest headache. Due to injuries, the German boss is left with just two experienced midfielders to choose from after coming into the season with a surplus of options at the position. Time is winding down in this off-season for the team to bring in the cavalry. Chelsea seems to have somewhat resolved this issue, with early reports from Fabrizio Romano stating that they have secured Denis Zakaria from Juventus.
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Alvarez first came to prominence with Club America in Mexico before being picked up by his current side where he has continued to impress. The Mexican international is a defensive-minded midfielder who would have been able to plug the gap left by N’Golo Kante’s injury problems