West Ham are in the race to sign Edson Alvarez this summer, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Are West Ham signing Edson Alvarez?
The Mexican has spent the last four campaigns with Ajax and has slowly developed and established himself as a key first-team player for the club during his time there. In the 2022/23 season, he featured on 31 occasions in the league – with 30 starts, the most he has ever managed – and bagged three goals with three assists along the way. His showings couldn't help Ajax to climb the league table though, slipping to third and not winning the Eredivisie for the first time since he joined the club.
Alvarez though still ranked highly amongst other midfielders within the Men's 'Next 8' competitions (the leagues after Europe's big five). For example, his 83.91 attempted passes per 90 rate is almost second to none, with the midfielder ranking within the top one percent in that area. Not only does he attempt a lot of balls to his teammates but he pulls them off too, with the player averaging a pass completion rate of 88.7% – putting him in the 94th percentile for that figure too. It shows that his on-the-ball ability is one of the best and he is well capable of dictating the player and using his vision to find other players.
These continued performances have now led to interest in his services from elsewhere. Borussia Dortmund have been linked with a swoop for the 25-year-old but it appears they won't be alone in chasing Alvarez. That's because according to a report from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, West Ham are also keen on bringing the player to the Premier League. However, he also adds that the midfielder himself is "waiting" for Dortmund to make an official move because he "wants to join them."
There is no potential fee mentioned but CIES Football Observatory suggest his value could be around 30 million Euros (or £25m).
Plettenberg said: "Understand there is still no agreement between BVB and Alvarez. And: Ajax still has NOT received an offer from Dortmund! Therefore NO talks about the transfer fee yet. West Ham is in, yes! But the player is still waiting for BVB as he wants to join them as reported!"
How does Alvarez compare to other midfielders?
It's no wonder there is such an interest in the midfielder when you consider that not only has he proven to be a force in terms of his passing ability but also with his defensive workrate. With 2.65 clearances per 90, he also ranks in the top one percent in that area too and does the same for his aerials won stat, with 3.38 on average per 90.
The player is an all-round force then it seems, and West Ham, fresh off a Europa Conference League victory, could certainly boost their squad with the addition of the Ajax man. However, it still appears as though pole position is held by Borussia Dortmund.
