West Ham United transfer news as first bid made for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez
West Ham United have reportedly entered the bidding war to sign Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez this summer, according to journalist Aaron Dominguez.
The Hammers have been identifying several targets to replace the outgoing Declan Rice, with Alavarez, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse top Moyes targets in midfield this summer.
The Mexican maestro was all set to join Borussia Dortmund, but transfer guru Fabrizio Romano dropped an update on 29 June that may have handed West Ham all the encouragement to have a free-run at his services, after the German giants pulled out of the race to sign him.
And according to Dominguez, taking to his personal Twitter account [1 July], West Ham have made an opening offer to prize the Mexican away from Ajax.
He tweeted: “West Ham enters the bid for Edson Alvarez.”
“He has already sent a first offer to Ajax.”
Promising
Although Dortmund may have seemed the favourites for Alvarez’s signature this summer, West Ham United were well inclined to push even further for the player, and the stars have now seemed to align for Moyes to pursue an attractive and superb Rice replacement for next season.
The Mexican international is an exceptional and “fantastic” player and certainly seems the ideal post-Rice capture, given his dominant showings for Ajax both at domestic level and on the European stage.
And the Dortmund development is certainly promising for the West Ham United ambitions this transfer window, as they look to undergo a major squad rebuilding ahead of the new campaign.
Rice’s departure is sure to leave a gaping hole in the West Ham United midfield next season and they’ll desperately need a player capable of being influential both on the ball and off it, and Alvarez perfectly fits the bill.
As per FBRef, over the past year and within Europe’s top-five leagues, he 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.
The Mexican international is Premier League-ready and given the class of defensive midfielders in the English top flight next season, Alvarez can be amongst that prestigious list should he make the move to East London.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are now in pole position to land a Premier League-established winger with a £40m price tag on his head.