West Ham set to seal first summer transfer window signing with Rice replacement
By Evan Curnew
It’s finally happening, West Ham United, the only Premier League side yet to make a signing, is sealing a transfer. As The Top Flight has previously covered, West Ham were strong admirers of Ajax’s Edson Alvarez, and the Mexican had agreed to personal terms with the Hammers. You’d be forgiven if you were skeptical about celebrating anything until it’s finalized, having seen the club hijacked on a deal already with Carlos Borges.
Fabrizio Romano now confirms that Ajax and West Ham have reached an agreement on a transfer for Edson Alvarez. Romano also states that Alvarez’s medical is already booked, and he will likely be confirmed as a West Ham player on July 8th. Edson Alvarez is, of course, seen as the like-for-like replacement for Declan Rice, who left earlier this window for Arsenal. The Athletic report that the exact fee for Edson Alvarez is £34.4m which has bonuses within the package.
Alvarez’s time at Ajax has been well-regarded as a success. The club has won the Eredivisie twice and the domestic cup.
Alvarez is a well-rounded deep-lying midfielder, with his best attributes coming from his aerial ability and clearances. FBREF ranks his Aerials won and clearances in the 99th percentile. He is usually deployed in a system where he is given tons of the ball and is the central focus of Ajax’s midfield. That style of play mirrors what Declan Rice did with West Ham, signalling exactly where Alvarez will play in David Moyes’ system.
After the finalization of Edson Alvarez to West Ham, the club will turn their attention to a very popular duo of Manchester United players. As The Top Flight has covered, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are next on David Moyes’ list as the club looks to build off of winning the Europa Conference League.