A BBC journalist saw something during the Mexico Gold Cup final triumph that’ll interest West Ham fans amid Edson Alvarez speculation.
West Ham have been linked with a plethora of players over the last few months and can now start spending after the arrival of the first tranche of money from Arsenal for Declan Rice.
Rice’s departure leaves a massive hole in the West Ham midfield.
And one of the players being heavily linked as West Ham’s answer to filling it is Ajax star Edson Alvarez.
The Mexico midfielder is an absolute destroyer who would complement Lucas Paqueta perfectly.
BBC journalist saw something during Mexico Gold Cup final triumph that’ll interest West Ham fans amid Edson Alvarez speculation
Unlike Rice, the Mexican is more focused solely on his defensive duties, which will give Paqueta much more freedom to focus on creating and scoring.
West Ham are said to be ramping up their pursuit of Alvarez and it was reported over the weekend that a bid for the Ajax ace was imminent.
Then earlier today we reported on claims that West Ham are confident of getting a deal done for the 25-year-old.
Alvarez was in action with his country on Sunday night as he helped Mexico to win the Gold Cup with victory over Panama.
Respected football reporter Simon Stone watched that game and paid close attention to the midfielder.
And the BBC journalist saw something during the Mexico Gold Cup final triumph that’ll interest West Ham fans amid the Alvarez speculation.
Stone confirmed West Ham’s interest in Alvarez and said it is ‘easy to see why’ after watching him play in the final.
But he warned fans – as we have pointed out earlier in this article and previous analysis – not to expect a like-for-like Rice replacement.
‘Easy to see why Alvarez might be viewed as West Ham’s Rice replacement’
“Alvarez’s availability has been noted by the Hammers as they try to plan for life without Declan Rice,” Stone said.
“And it is easy to see why the Ajax man might be viewed as a Rice replacement.
“He sits in front of the defence and tidies up in the same unfussy manner as the £100m England star. He is calm in possession, able to take control in tight spaces and, crucially, spots danger and has the speed to react, albeit a bit late once in the second half which earned him a booking.
“On the evidence of his appearance at the SoFi Stadium on Sunday, what Alvarez lacks is a willingness to get forward or carry the ball through the lines.
“Happy enough to sit in when the Mexico full-backs pushed forward, in a game screaming out for central midfield creativity, Alvarez – like everyone else – didn’t offer any. When space appeared around the edge of the Panama box – as it did frequently – Alvarez was 15 yards further back protecting Mexico’s defence.
“West Ham boss David Moyes has said finding a like-for-like replacement for Rice will be impossible. The Gold Cup final showed why.”
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