Chelsea have made a £40million transfer bid for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, who is keen on making the move to Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old is open becoming the latest Ajax star to make a move to the Premier League this summer, following in the footsteps of Lisandro Martinez and Antony.
However, the Amsterdam giants are reluctant to sell Alvarez having already cashed in over £165million worth of talent, after also selling Sebastian Haller to Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea could leverage Hakim Ziyech’s future in negotiations as the transfer deadline looms, the winger hoping for a move away from west London with a return to Ajax currently an option. In fact, Ziyech’s hopes of the deal already hinge on a solution to the Lucas Ocampos transfer saga between Sevilla and Ajax.
The bid for Mexico international Alvarez also signals Thomas Tuchel’s concern around his midfield with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante currently injured - plus Mateo Kovacic still overcoming a niggling knee issue.
Conor Gallagher has serious interest from Crystal Palace which the Blues might be tempted to accept should they sign Alvarez in the last 24 hours of the transfer window.
It is unlikely that Palace's interest will go uncontested with Newcastle and Everton having expressed their desire to sign him on loan.
Chelsea are also targeting a forward with Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang long being the main target.
Protracted negotiations have been complicated further by an armed robbery at the former Arsenal captain’s house where he suffered his jaw broken defending his family.
Medical documents are being studied with the Blues putting alternative attacking targets on stand by including AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and a host of others.
Everton’s Anthony Gordon is no longer a target with £40m now the maximum Chelsea will bid and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is unlikely to move before the transfer window shuts at 11pm BST on September 1.
