West Ham reach agreement for £35m international to replace Declan Rice in FIRST transfer of the summer
WEST HAM have agreed a £35m deal for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez.
The Hammers are finally set to make their first move of the transfer window since allowing skipper Declan Rice to join Arsenal for £105m on July 15.
Mexican international midfielder Alvarez, 25, is seen as a direct replacement for Rice – and is expected to fly to London in the next 24 hours to complete his medical.
West Ham saw an opening £30m bid rejected for the player, but have now settled on a fee which includes add-ons and a sell-on clause on a five-year deal.
Alvarez – who had two years left on his contract with the Dutch giants – only landed back in Amsterdam on Monday morning from his summer holiday in Mexico, but is ready to get the switch completed as soon as possible.
West Ham are confident Alvarez will be available to face Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Saturday should there be no issues with his medical in East London.
Alvarez was on the verge of joining Chelsea last summer for around £42m only for the move fall through with Ajax unable to find a replacement.
It is understood owner David Sullivan has taken a hands-on approach following West Ham’s struggles to get several deals over the line during the window.
West Ham have so far failed in moves for James Ward-Prowse, Joao Palhinha, Harvey Barnes, Harry Maguire, Conor Gallagher, Scott McTominay and Carlos Borges.
There has been reported tension between boss David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten; the former wanting established British players and the latter eyeing up young European talents.
However, Alvarez appears to be a transfer that pleases all parties – with Moyes hopeful this will kick-start a late surge before their clash with the Cherries.
West Ham are still on the look-out for midfielders, and are considering making a fourth offer for Southampton’s Ward-Prowse.
The Saints are holding out for close to £40m for the 28-year-old, while Manchester United’s McTominay is also an option for Moyes, despite Steidten’s reservations.
West Ham are expected to need another forward as well with Gianluca Scamacca on the verge of returning to Italy with Atalanta in a deal worth up to £27m including add-ons.
Scamacca, 24, arrived at West Ham last summer for £30.5m from Sassuolo but scored just three Prem goals in 16 appearances.
Should Scamacca depart, Moyes will have just Michail Antonio and 18-year-old Divin Mubama has options to lead the line.
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Having joined Ajax in 2019, he made 44 appearances for the Dutch giants across all competitions last term.
He could make his West Ham debut this Saturday in their Premier League opener away to Bournemouth.
Fans are cautious ahead of the match, with Moyes’ side losing 4-0 to Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend in their final pre-season friendly.