Chelsea find their IDEAL player in the Eredivisie – and it’s not Edson Alvarez

Imre Himmelbauer

3 Aug 2023 09:55 BST
3 min read

Edson Alvarez, PSV, Chelsea — © ProShots/FootballTransfers

Chelsea have put Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez back on their list of transfer targets, according to The Times.

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The defensive midfielder previously attracted the interest of the Blues in the past two transfer periods, and they now want to make another attempt to sign him.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino would like to personally push through the arrival of the ball winner, it is reported.

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Alvarez, though, is not the best option for Chelsea.

The Mexico international seemed to be heading for West Ham United for a long period as the Hammers sought a successor to Declan Rice, who was sold for a record fee to Arsenal. In the end, David Moyes’ side looked elsewhere.

A transfer to Borussia Dortmund has also broken down and Chelsea may offer a solution.

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Pochettino’s side, though, are looking at multiple solutions, including PSV star Ibrahim Sangare.

The Athletic reports that Nottingham Forest is in talks with both PSV and the Ivorian's management, but competition arrives from, among others, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Chelsea.

And it is the Stamford Bridge side that look ideally suited to Sangare, according to data analytics experts SciSports.

Chelsea has a Club Fit of 79, making it the second best club for the 25-year-old midfielder. Only Barcelona suit the PSV player even better, with a Club Fit of 80. Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur (both 78) and Arsenal (74) also seem to be great destinations for him. Nottingham Forest, the club that seems to be leading the race, is ironically the least suitable of the clubs listed with a Club Fit of just 59.

© SciSports - Chelsea is the best club for Ibrahim Sangare.

Chelsea want the wrong midfielder

For the time being, it seems more likely that Chelsea will strengthen with Alvarez than Sangare. But that’s not a good plan.

West Ham are by far the most suitable club for Alvarez, with a Club Fit of 86. By contrast, Chelsea offer only 65, which means the 69-time capped player fits less easily at Stamford Bridge than Sangare.

For Alvarez, on the other hand, he is best suited to AC Milan (82) or Roma (79), while Manchester United (78) and Fulham (77) are his best Premier League destinations.