Edson Alvarez ‘overwhelmed’: Mexican media reacts to what West Ham star did v Turkey
Edson Alvarez has endured mixed fortunes so far in the two years since his move from Ajax.
The midfielder has shown flashes of what he is capable of during his time at the London Stadium, but has failed to convince Graham Potter that he is worthy of a regular place in the starting XI during his tenure so far.
With Potter looking to revamp the squad, there have been suggestions that Alvarez could be on his way out of East London this summer.
The Hammers are understood to be seeking ways of reducing their wage bill, and Alvarez is likely to be a relatively high earner at the club, considering that he joined from a regular Champions League outfit.
Mexican media react to Alvarez’s display against Turkey
Like many Premier League stars in recent weeks, Alvarez has been away on international duty at the end of the season.
He was a late substitute in Mexico’s 4-2 defeat to Switzerland on Saturday (7 June), before returning to start as his side bounced back with a 1-0 win over Turkey on Wednesday (11 June).
The 27-year-old played for just over an hour in that victory, and his performance attracted plenty of attention from his country’s media.
ESPN handed him a match rating of 7.5/10 for his display. The sports news outlet stated that LAvarez was “overwhelmed” in his area of the pitch during the game’s early stages but “became a good distributor of the ball for the attacking line,” as Mexico got to grips with their opponents.
On the other hand, Alvarez was singled out by Los Protagonistas’ David Medrano, who bemoaned the fact that the defensive-minded midfielder was Mexico’s top scorer in competitive internationals in their XI against Turkey.
Aguilas Monumental journalist Julio Rodriguez also added that he feels the West Ham man should make up part of his national team’s centre back pairing for this year’s Gold Cup tournament.
West Ham must be careful when deciding on Alvarez’s future
The decision over Alvarez’s future may seem like a straightforward one for Potter and West Ham, given the way that he has struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
However, they should be very wary of cutting Alvarez adrift without lining up an adequate replacement for him first.
The Hammers look particularly weak in their midfield area heading into the summer. They have a limited number of options available to them in the middle of the park, and several are veterans.
Losing Alvarez without a replace would only serve to exacerbate those issues.
He may have been underwhelming so far, and he remains a saleable asset, but West Ham may be better served holding on to him for now at least.