"I was an hour away from getting on the plane" - West Ham star says he nearly joined Chelsea in 2022
West Ham United star midfielder Edson Alvarez revealed that he came a step away from moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2022. The Mexican midfielder said that he was about to fly to London to finalize the deal, but talks between Ajax and the Blues fell apart.
"Whether people believe it or not, it doesn't make any difference to me, I'm the one who is here and the one who is living it. I was an hour away from getting on the plane and going to sign for Chelsea. 'Ajax told me: 'You are not going'. You are not leaving, what do you do? There is no way you are leaving,'" Edson Alvarez said in an interview with Caliente TV, via the Daily Mail.
Alvarez stayed with the Dutch giants for the 2022-23 season and then moved to West Ham for a transfer fee of £35 million. Edson Alvarez has appeared in 35 games for the Hammers across all competitions this season, with two goals and two assists.
Edson Alvarez's agent reveals that his client was a priority for Chelsea
Edson Alvarez's agent, Nathan van Kooperen, opened up about what went wrong in the talks between Chelsea and Ajax, leading to his client staying with the Dutch giants.
Van Kooperen said that the Mexican midfielder was a priority for the Blues, who did their best to land him in the summer of 2022. Still, Ajax didn't let him go, because they hadn't found his replacement yet, and Alvarez had to remain with the team for another season.
"They were prepared to go very far. They wanted to do everything they could to bring him to the club. But Ajax had no replacement ready, so they weren’t prepared to cooperate. They thought advancing to the Champions League was very important," van Kooperen told ESPN, via the Daily Mail.
Alvarez wanted to join the Blues and it was 'difficult' for him to get over the fact that the deal fell apart eventually, per his agent. Seven points separate West Ham and Chelsea in the English Premier League standings. The Hammers are seventh with 44 points, while the Blues are 11th with 39.