“I want to join Chelsea” – £43m star wants to replace Kante at Chelsea

Edson Alvarez, a midfielder for Ajax, acknowledged in an interview with Star+ via ESPN that he battled hard to sign with Chelsea during the summer transfer window.

In an interview with Star+ via ESPN, Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez has confirmed that he fought hard to join Chelsea during the summer transfer window.

Chelsea had made the Mexican star one of their top targets before the summer transfer deadline, but Ajax made it clear that they had no time to look for a replacement. Alvarez has now acknowledged that he did everything in his power to sign with the London giants, but the club’s £43 million offer was ultimately turned down.

The 25-year-old claimed in a Star+ interview that his support group had no idea Chelsea would make a last-minute offer to sign him. Ajax’s options were limited because there was no replacement, he continued, but he made every effort to push for a transfer to Stamford Bridge.

It was a complicated situation because Ajax really had no choice because they lacked a player in my position. He said: “There had been a follow-up, of course, and we never, ever imagined that in the last few days that bid would come in.”

In the end, you know that everything changes, a better league, a better life for you and your family. “Obviously, I fought as hard as I could, but I also didn’t want to stretch things so much because I know the responsibility I have here at the club.”

After a failed attempt to acquire Alvarez, Chelsea acquired Denis Zakaria on loan from Juventus. Under manager Graham Potter, the Swiss has only made two competitive appearances, and none of them have been in the Premier League. The club could cut short his loan stint in January.

This winter, the London giants might take a novel approach to signing Alvarez. This season, without N’Golo Kante in the middle of the field, they have lacked a strong defensive resolve. The Frenchman is anticipated to wait until late February or early March before making a comeback with the first team.

However, there is no guarantee that Kante will return to being fully healthy and at his best. With Chelsea having to be active in the upcoming transfer window in light of this, signing Alvarez makes sense. The Mexican is currently one of the top holding midfielders in the Dutch top division.

He has won 2.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game for club and country this season, along with 2.7 clearances, according to WhoScored.com. He has completed 86.6 percent of his passes while winning nearly three aerial duels on average. He has created one key chance per appearance.

Chelsea should pursue his signing again in January, but Ajax might have other ideas.