Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t appear to be slowing down in the transfer market, adding defender Axel Disasi to his streamlined squad ahead of the Premier League season, which begins next week.
The Frenchman arrives at Stamford Bridge for a fee in the region of £38.5m and is the sixth player to join the club this summer.
The Argentinian isn’t stopping there, as he aims to secure a deal for Moises Caicedo next.
Are Chelsea close to signing Moises Caicedo?
Chelsea reportedly made a bid of £70m for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder in mid-July as they aimed to strengthen their squad, however, it was swiftly rejected by the south coast outfit.
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The Seagulls are said to value Caicedo at £100m and now Liverpool have emerged as a serious contender to try and secure his signature from under Pochettino’s nose.
With only a few weeks remaining of the transfer window, Chelsea will need to act fast, or they could miss out on the Ecuadorian.
Could they have an alternative available however?
Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez has been eyed with regard to a potential move to the London side this summer.
Could Chelsea sign Edson Alvarez?
According to The Times (via Daily Mail), Chelsea are considering other midfield targets that could bolster their midfield, especially since so many players have departed the club during the transfer window.
N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have all moved on, leaving major voids to be filled across the midfield area and Alvarez could be an excellent signing.
The Mexican international has a price tag of £40m, and this would make him a much cheaper alternative to Caicedo should a deal for the 21-year-old fail to materialise over the coming weeks.
The 25-year-old machine has showcased his attacking and defensive abilities over the previous 365 days, thus alerting clubs such as Chelsea, so Pochettino could land a shrewd investment should he sign the Ajax star this summer.
He tends to operate as a defensive midfielder and compared to positional peers across the next big eight leagues, he ranks in the top 1% for aerials won and clearances per 90, demonstrating his defensive acumen.
The Eredivisie gem is also extremely effective across a wide range of attacking metrics, ranking in the top 10% for touches in the opposition box, total shots, progressive passes, and progressive carries per 90 compared to positional peers and Pochettino could get the best of both worlds should he sign Alvarez.
In contrast, Caicedo, when compared to players across the big five leagues in Europe, fails to rank in the top 25% for any of the aforementioned defensive or attacking metrics. Although Alvarez may be playing in a slightly weaker league in terms of quality compared to the Ecuadorian, it’s evident that his statistics are far better and he could be a worthwhile alternative.
Football scout Jacek Kulig once described the midfielder as “tenacious”, whilst he also lauded him as “charismatic” and someone who also has “great ball-playing ability” too.
For just £40m, Pochettino would be able to sign a player who has arguably yet to reach their prime, while still having money left over to invest in other areas of his squad. It's certainly a no-brainer for the Argentinian.