West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez has revealed how close he came to joining Premier League giants Chelsea before his move collapsed.
The former Ajax star joined the Hammers in a £35 million move last summer after the English outfit sold Declan Rice for a record fee.
David Moyes’s side roped in the 26-year-old as a quality midfield replacement. However, the move wasn’t as simple as it looks on paper. Alvarez was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge and it was well known that Todd Boehly’s team were working on the transfer.
It has now come to light that the South American was just an hour away from boarding the flight to join Chelsea and it was only because of Ajax that the move failed to materialise in the last minute.
While speaking to Caliente TV, the midfielder said:
“Actually, in year three [at Ajax], I had to go to Chelsea, the plane was waiting for me at the airport. I was an hour away from getting on the plane and going to sign for Chelsea and Ajax told me: ‘You’re not going’. So, you’re not leaving, what do you do? There’s no way you’re leaving.”
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Alvarez has performed decently at West Ham with two goals to his name in 35 appearances. It will take some time for him to fill the huge void left by Arsenal star Rice. Meanwhile, Chelsea moved on from this collapsed transfer saga as they quickly signed few young midfielders for their squad.
Big money moves like the transfer of Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia also occurred during Boehly’s era.
Will Chelsea regret not signing Alvarez for a minimal transfer fee?
The Blues are constantly looking for fresh players but Alvarez would have been a bargain signing when compared to their other costly players. Whether the former Ajax star would have suited the team’s style of play is a completely different question. But his experience would have been vital for the club.
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The Hammers are doing well in the Premier League this season as they sit on the seventh position, much better than Chelsea who are struggling in the 11th position.
