Sport
Edson Alvarez signing would make West Ham quickly forget about Rice
There will be a very large, Declan Rice-shaped hole in West Ham’s midfield next season. By all accounts, the England international is expected to complete a £105m transfer to Arsenal in the coming days with Rice ready to take the next step in his career. The Hammers face an almost impossible task to find a replacement.
A number of potential targets have been linked with the London Stadium club. Scott McTominay has been mentioned, with the Scot down the pecking order at Manchester United. Kalvin Phillips is another possible option – he is in a similar situation to McTominay at Manchester City. One target stands above the others, though.
Edson Alvarez is reportedly interesting West Ham. The Mexican international is widely expected to leave Ajax this summer and while Borussia Dortmund had been close to agreeing a deal for the midfielder, the Premier League now appears to be a more probable destination. Alvarez could soon be in claret and blue.
Alvarez was a key part of the Ajax team that made such an impact under Erik Ten Hag two seasons ago. The 25-year-old operates at the base of the Dutch team’s midfield and would perform in a similar way for West Ham who will need a new anchor with Rice soon to be out the door this summer.
Last season, Alvarez averaged 2.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per 90 minutes in the Eredivisie, highlighting his ability as a disrupter in front of the defence. The Mexican is also comfortable on the ball, averaging 77.3 passes per 90 minutes. Alvarez was a driving force as much as he was a disruptive one.
Positionally, Alvarez’s intelligence makes him special. He reads the game better than most and it’s this vision and processing power that allows the Mexican to stop trouble before it even unfolds. This is the sort of quality that made N’Golo Kante the best in his position for a number of years – Alvarez has the same knack.
Dortmund emerged as a suitor for Alvarez this summer, but before that the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United had been linked with the 25-year-old. His arrival at the London Stadium would make a statement about the upward trajectory West Ham are on even with Rice at another club next season.
Europa Conference League glory hinted at the potential of the London Stadium outfit. In the Premier League, the Hammers spent much of the campaign fighting against relegation, but hope to push themselves much higher up the table this term. The signing of Alvarez, a potential elite level midfielder, would help them do this while also participating in the Europa League.
The £105m raised by the sale of Rice would leave money left over in the budget even after Alvarez’s signing. Harry Maguire has been linked with West Ham and could be available for roughly £30m such is Manchester United’s desire to move on the centre back. Maguire would be a shrewd addition for the Hammers.
Harvey Barnes is another player believed to be on West Ham’s radar with the winger open to leaving Leicester City following their relegation from the Premier League. Barnes would give David Moyes another option to use on the wing with the Hammers in need of another goal source heading into the 2023/24 season.
Moyes must be careful not to lose the structure of his team which was established with Rice in central midfield, though, and this is why the signing of Alvarez would take some beating as West Ham’s most consequential addition of the summer transfer window. He is the sort of player Moyes could build around.
