West Ham United 'make contact with Ajax over Edson Alvarez deal'

West Ham United have reportedly made contact with Ajax to express their interest in signing midfielder Edson Alvarez.

The Hammers are looking to strengthen their options in midfield after agreeing to sell captain Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m.

Rice is believed to be on the verge of completing his big-money move to the Emirates Stadium, although West Ham have allegedly been left frustrated by the delays with paperwork being drawn up by Arsenal's lawyers.

David Moyes has stated that his Hammer's side cannot reinvest in new summer recruits until Rice's transfer to the Gunners is finalised.

Speaking to reporters, as quoted by Sky Sports News, ahead of their pre-season tour in Australia, Moyes said: "I've just been listening to Sky and taking the news from Sky – you seem to know more about it than me and getting the news quicker than I'm getting!

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"Until it's done, we can't plan anything really. We will wait to see what happens. Everyone knows the situation, we are waiting for something to happen.

"I don't think we can replace Declan exactly like for like. But we will add to the squad as times go on. We won't give you any names or what we're going to do."

Nevertheless, The Athletic reports that West Ham have touched base with Dutch giants Ajax to discuss a proposed move for Mexico international Alvarez.

The report adds that the Hammers are yet to table an official offer, but they are soon expected to submit their first bid for the 25-year-old, who is valued between £35m and £40m.

Alvarez was the subject of a bid in the region of €50m (£42.8m) from Chelsea late on in last summer's transfer window, but the deal ultimately failed to materialise as Ajax felt there was little time left to find a replacement.

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Alvarez, who has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, still has two years remaining on his Ajax contract, but he suggested last month that now "could be the right time to take the next step in his career".

The midfielder, who can also operate as a centre-back, has spent the last four years with the Amsterdam giants, making a total of 147 appearances in all competitions.

Alvarez has won two Eredivisie titles and one KNVB Cup during his time in the Netherlands, while he was also an integral member of the Ajax squad that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

The Tlalnepantla-born lynchpin has earned 63 caps for Mexico and has played in all five matches en route to the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, where they will face Panama next Monday.

West Ham are also believed to be interested in signing Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, who was on loan at Chelsea last season, while Fulham's Joao Palhinha and Southampton's James Ward-Prowse are two more midfielders said to be on their radar.