Mexican international Edson Álvarez is a hot topic of discussion in the World of football right now, with both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich expressing interest in signing the 25-year-old. Ajax Amsterdam currently holds Álvarez’s contract, but the club has promised him that he can leave this summer for the right price. As a result, both the German giants are vying to acquire his services during the transfer window.
Although Álvarez was heavily linked with a potential move to Chelsea last summer, Ajax blocked the deal, and thus the Mexican stayed put in Amsterdam. Chelsea was the first club to show interest in the defensive midfielder, and their former coach, Thomas Tuchel, is now the head honcho at Bayern Munich. The Blues attempted to sign Álvarez three times over the course of the last two transfer windows. However, the Dutch club refused to part ways with another of their key players.
According to reports, Ajax values Álvarez at around €40 million, which is significantly less than the sum that Chelsea offered during the past two windows. In the event that Álvarez moves this summer, he would become Dortmund’s most expensive signing and would be among the top six most expensive players in Bayern’s history. Thus, both clubs will have to dig deep into their pockets to sign the Mexican star.
Given that both teams have been linked with Álvarez, it is important to assess which team he would be a better fit for. Dortmund already has two defensive midfield options available in Emre Can and Salih Özcan, but Álvarez would be an upgrade to either player. Meanwhile, Bayern has been looking for someone to fill the gap Martínez left since he left, and Julian Nagelsmann and Tuchel were hoping that Leon Goretzka would be the ideal candidate. However, that hasn’t come to fruition. Nonetheless, Bayern is on the cusp of signing RB Leipzig’s Konrad Laimer on a free transfer this summer, and therefore, a Bayern deal for Álvarez is speculative due to that factor.
Overall, both teams have a strong track record of nurturing players, and it is fascinating to see who will ultimately sign Álvarez. Bayern has a more significant need for a defensive midfielder, and although Dortmund already has Can and Özcan, adding Álvarez could strengthen the team even more, given the Mexican’s abilities. Ajax has a history of developing and selling talented players, and Álvarez looks set to follow that same path, with the potential for Ajax to earn a substantial transfer fee in the process. As for Álvarez, he might have some difficult, but exciting, decisions to make come the end of the season.
