West Ham United have been given renewed hope in their attempts to move on Edson Alvarez with Koln director Thomas Kessler confirming that the Bundesliga outfit want to sign at least one central midfielder this summer.
Mexico captain Alvarez is expected to leave the Hammers before the window is closed.
And with a potential return to Ajax seemingly unlikely, Tim Steidten’s Koln have emerged as the most likely destination for a man who joined West Ham United for £35 million in the summer of 2023.
Only £1m spent… How are you feeling about West Ham’s slow summer?
When will the new signings arrive? 🥱
Steidten, the former Hammers chief who now works as Koln’s Director of Squad Planning, is reportedly leading the charge. Now Thomas Kessler, Director of Football at the Cathedral City outfit, appears to have left the door open to Edson Alvarez.
Koln want a midfielder with West Ham United’s Edson Alvarez a top target
Kessler was speaking to German publication Kicker as the World Cup reaches its final stages, meaning the transfer window is expected to kick up a notch.
“We will certainly make some moves in central midfield,” Kessler said.
“I don’t have to be satisfied right now. I want to be satisfied after the season. We still have a lot of work to do, we’ve already done some things, it’s been an intense few weeks and we expect there’s still more to come.”
If Edson Alvarez RETURNED to West Ham this summer, how would you respond? 🇲🇽
And which player would be most worried by his comeback?
Koln coach Rene Wagner would not be drawn on Alvarez a couple of days ago ahead of the start of pre-season training. Interestingly, Wagner admitted that Ellyes Shkiri of Eintracht Frankfurt is another under consideration.
Shkiri, who represented Koln between 2019 and 2023, is also rangy defensive midfielder who can fill in at centre-half. The Tunisian appears a more affordable alternative.
Alvarez, who reportedly earns £100,000-a-week at the London Stadium, would have to take a sizeable pay cut, although Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports that he is ‘open’ to the idea.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
