In a recent report, The Evening Standard stated that Chelsea are eyeing a move for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez this January. It has been mentioned that the Blues are showing interest in acquiring the services of the Mexico international during the winter transfer period.
Alvarez’s Impressive Form In Dutch Football
Alvarez had a solid campaign at the Amsterdam club recently as he was responsible for putting in a lot of solid displays at the centre of their midfield. The 24-year-old took part in 41 matches for Ajax last season, netting five goals and grabbing one assist in the process across various competitions.
The Mexican sensation deserves a lot of credit for averaging 2.0 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 1.4 shots and 0.7 dribbles per game in the Dutch Eredivisie. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball going forward after making 86.4% of his attempted passes in the Dutch top tier (stats via whoscored).
Alvarez is under contract at the Dutch club until the summer of 2025. Therefore, it won’t be easy for Chelsea to recruit him on the cheap during the January transfer window.
What Will Alvarez Bring To Chelsea In January?
Alvarez loves a tackle and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team at the centre of the park. He can offer decent protection for his teammates at the back and doesn’t take too many risks when clearing the danger inside his half. Alvarez is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also act as a box-to-box midfielder or play as a central defender if his manager tells him to do so.
The Mexican sensation can even chip in by scoring his fair share of goals in the final third. The Ajax midfield ace is a decent dribbler with the ball as well and would be a good fit for Graham Potter‘s style of play at Stamford Bridge.
We can expect Alvarez to bring a lot of bite and steel to Chelsea‘s midfield and increase competition for places within their match-day squad. At 24, he will only get better in the coming seasons and has got what it takes to fight for a regular starting spot at the West London club.
Thus, Potter should think about orchestrating a big-money move to bring Alvarez to the English capital next year. However, only time will tell whether he can cope with the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football.
