West Ham 23/24 First Signing: Edson Álvarez Replaces Declan Rice

With the Premier League transfer window three weeks away from closing, West Ham has finally decided on their first target, Edson Álvarez. The Mexican defensive midfielder was a prime target for Chelsea in the last transfer window, but the club has since shifted their sight to Moisés Caicedo. It was the perfect sequence for their London rivals, West Ham, to target him after they lost their beloved captain, Declan Rice, to Arsenal. While West Ham may not offer Edson Álvarez the same lucrative contract that Chelsea did, the prospect of playing European football could make up the salary gap.

West Ham Agrees £35M Deal to Sign Edson Álvarez 

After a month of speculations and rumours, the deal is finally nearing an agreement as West Ham up their initial offer of £30 million to £35 million in hopes of signing Edson Álvarez. It comes as a relief to the fans as the transfer window has not been kind to them. For example, they lost their Mark Noble replacement, Declan Rice, to London rivals, Arsenal and rumours of tension between their manager, Davis Moyes and the new technical owner and co-owner.

The deal for Edson Álvarez is reportedly around £35 million, with a five-year contract worth £100,000 a week. If Edson Álvarez passes his medical in the next 24 hours, he will be West Ham’s first signing in the transfer window, making him the highest-paid Mexican in the league and second-highest-paid in the world behind Hirving Lozano. 

Edson Álvarez Is the Perfect Replacement for Declan Rice

You cannot be a bad player if you are a subject of interest from clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United. Despite the attention, a deal between them and Edson Álvarez never seems likely to go through. However, a move to the London Stadium might be the perfect place for Edson Álvarez to advance his career.

The 26-year-old has long wanted a move away from Ajax and join the Premier League, following in the footsteps of Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek and Antony. While Edson Álvarez may not have stand-out performances like them, he is a solid defensive midfielder that does the dirty work for his team. Sounds a lot like Declan Rice, does it not, West Ham fans?

Furthermore, Edson Álvarez also pops in with the occasional goal, as he scored 13 goals in 147 appearances for Ajax and only had 1 red card in his time for the club. Another similarity is that both players scored on their European debut. For example, Edson Álvarez scored in his Champions League debut, while Declan Rice scored in his Europa League debut. Edson Álvarez also has a name for himself in history as he became the first Mexican player to score on his Champions League debut.

West Ham Set to Sign Two Manchester United Players

With the whole of the British record fee of £105 million to spend from Declan Rice’s sale, a mere £35 million for Edson Álvarez still leaves them with £70 million to spend. Thus, West Ham is now directing attention to two players Manchester United are attempting to move on, Harry Maguire and Scott Mctominay. Despite Erik ten Hag ensuring Maguire and McTominay a spot in the squad next season, United will not stand in their way if they want to leave and the club receives offers which match their valuation.

Before signing Edson Álvarez, West Ham attempted to sign the two with bids of around £20 million for each. United has rejected the offer and claims that the two are worth £40 million each, which is not surprising considering the extra tax UK players have. At this moment, West Ham has submitted a combined bid of £60 million for the two, and sources claimed that United is open to accepting the deal. While the price seems right, we believe United would want to squeeze a couple more million from West Ham to fund their own transfers.

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Our Final Say

West Ham’s triumph in the Europa Conference League has definitely overshadowed their disappointing Premier League season. However, we advise West Ham fans to be reasonable in their demand for the club next season and for Edson Álvarez, as expensive signings have not been kind to the club.