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Borussia Dortmund are said to be close to signing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, who was linked with a move to Chelsea last summer.
According to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano, Dortmund have offered Alvarez a five-year contract. They are ready to enter into negotiations with Ajax about his transfer fee.
Romano provided the update via his Twitter page on Friday, June 23:
“Borussia Dortmund is close to reaching a full agreement with Edson Alvarez on personal terms. The contract will be valid until June 2028, and it has almost expired on the player’s side.
“Dortmund will negotiate with Ajax next week and hope to complete the deal within 7 days.”
Alvarez, who usually plays in defensive midfield, attracted interest from both Chelsea and Manchester United last summer, with many expecting him to leave Ajax. It is even rumored that the Blues made him an initial offer, which was rejected.
Then the move fell through with the Blues closing in on the Eredivisie giants again after the Dutch transfer window had already closed (via football.london). The Mexican international reportedly tried to force her out as well, but to no avail.
Alvarez spoke about the conversion failure during an interview with ESPN NL and said (as quoted by Romano on Twitter):
“I am very disappointed about that. But I am convinced that one day a big club will come. We never expected Chelsea to make another offer at the end of August. It was a difficult situation. Nothing Ajax could do.”
Overall, the 25-year-old has played 147 matches for Ajax since joining from Club América in the summer of 2019, recording 13 goals and six assists. He has won two Eredivisie titles and one Dutch Cup.
Alvarez also made 62 appearances for Mexico and helped them win the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Chelsea are also looking for a midfielder this summer as well
Chelsea could see their squad undergo some major changes this summer, and the midfield is one area where they need to bring some blood.
While they signed Enzo Fernandez in January, Jorginho left for Arsenal that month and N’Golo Kante is set to leave on a free transfer this summer. Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic is said to be set to join Manchester City, while Manchester United have already made three failed bids for Mason Mount.
While Edson Alvarez now appears to be off the table, the Blues have been linked with other players. Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion remains one of the main names on their wish list. Football Insider even reported earlier this week that they plan to send their first offer to the Seagulls soon.
Chelsea have also been linked with both West Ham United captain Declan Rice and Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali. However, Arsenal and Manchester City appear poised to fight for the former player’s signature, while Tonali was rumored to be close to joining Newcastle United.
Celta Vigo players Gabri Vega (via Metro) and Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella (via CaughtOffside) are two other linemen who have been linked with Chelsea. However, the Blues will face competition from Liverpool for both players.
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