West Ham United hope to seal Edson Alvarez transfer in next few days amid £30m James Ward-Prowse update – Jacob Steinberg
West Ham United are hoping to seal the signing of Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez in the next few days, according to the Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg.
According to Steinberg, taking to his personal Twitter account (4 August) was posting in response to Fabrizio Romano’s update reporting (Twitter, 4 August) that personal terms have been agreed upon between West Ham and Edson Alvarez, with talks set to take place between the two clubs.
The Hammers have been identifying several targets to replace the outgoing Declan Rice, with Mexican international Alvarez, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse and Juventus’s Denis Zakaria all emerging as David Moyes’ top targets this summer.
And according to Steinberg, the Hammers remain unwilling to go over £30m for Ward-Prowse but are hoping to finally seal their first midfield signing in the next few days in Alvarez.
He tweeted: “West Ham hoping to have a deal for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez sorted in the next few days. They remain unwilling to go over £30m for James Ward-Prowse.”
Finally!
Finally, West Ham United have taken some crucial and active steps in the market to sign a highly-attainable midfield player who could yet turn out to be the perfect replacement for Rice.
The Hammers have been guilty of wasting time on the likes of Joao Palhinha who Fulham demanded around £65m-plus to sell, while also haggling over a fee for Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse.
Alvarez always seemed the more attainable and attractive low-cost option to pursue, with Ajax demanding £35m -£40m according to a report from The Athletic journalist David Ornstein (4 July).
The “fantastic” Mexican international is a statement acquisition and easily the best target after Palhinha.
As per FBRef, over the past year and within Europe’s top-five leagues, Alvarez impressively ranks in the 91st percentile for progressive passes, 93rd for progressive carries and ranked fourth in the Eredivisie last season for the number of dribbles tackled (44) showcasing his destructive and influential qualities in midfield.
At 25 years of age, with great international and European experience, the Mexican midfield machine wouldn’t need any considerable time to adjust to the rigours and pace of the Premier League as he is already impressively built for it.
This is potentially superb business from West Ham, it’s just a shame they’ve taken too long to get their Rice replacement sorted.
In other West Ham news, one wantaway attacker is now closing on a move to an Italian club, as David Sullivan demands around £10m to sell.