Chelsea ‘will be back’ for Ajax star after they ‘enquired’ about Sheffield United midfielder

Joe Williams
Chelsea target Edson Alvarez makes a face

Chelsea will reportedly return in January for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez after missing out on his signing on deadline day.

The Blues will be happy to have brought so many new players to Stamford Bridge this summer after the club forked out a whopping £255.3m on eight signings.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Denis Zakaria, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina all signed before the deadline on Thursday.


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Zakaria was the midfielder that Thomas Tuchel chose to sign on deadline day in the end with the Switzerland international joining on a season-long loan deal from Juventus.

However, Chelsea had tried for other midfielders with the Premier League club making a €50m bid for Ajax’s Alvarez.

The Mexico international was reportedly angry that Ajax didn’t allow a deal to go through but the Dutch giants weren’t prepared to lose any more players after selling a number in the summer.

But now CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs insists that the Blues “will return” for Alvarez in the January transfer market.

Jacobs tweeted: “Chelsea will be back for Ajax’s Edson Alvarez in January. Club pushed for much of deadline day to see if a sale was possible. Player wanted the move and has been directly reassured Chelsea will return.

“Rafael Leao is less certain. Chelsea were told three times they must bid the release clause or no deal possible. Milan are still hopeful (and intent) on getting him to sign a new deal.

“It is true that during the back and forth with Milan, Christian Pulisic was offered. As previously reported, Pulisic’s ideal preference was a Serie A move. The early-window hope was actually that Juventus would make a loan offer but it never materialised.”

But Alvarez and Zakaria aren’t the only two players who sparked Chelsea’s interest during deadline day with the Sheffield Star reporting that they ‘enquired’ about Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge.

The Norway international had been the subject of a number of bids from Belgian side Club Brugge but they couldn’t get anywhere near the Blades’ asking price.

It is claimed that Berge ‘attracted admiring glances from a number teams in England’s top-flight keen to explore the possibility of acquiring him on loan’.

The Sheffield Star adds that Chelsea ‘decided against tabling an official offer following their conversations with United’s hierarchy’ with Berge now expected to start Sheffield United’s clash against Hull in the Championship on Sunday.