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Arsenal: Gunners considered Edson Alvarez move
Arsenal reportedly considered a move for Ajax defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez in the January transfer window, before settling on signing Jorginho instead.
The Lowdown: Jorginho signs
Jorginho signed from Chelsea on Transfer Deadline Day for £12m, after Arsenal had two bids rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo.
The second Caicedo attempt was thought to be worth £70m, and so the Gunners have clearly saved some funds by moving for Chelsea’s Italian maestro, funds that they could look to spend in the summer instead.
The Latest: Alvarez considered
As per The Athletic, the North London club also considered a move for Alvarez as well as Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
They were willing to trigger the release clause for the latter, thought to be worth around £52m, but he did not want to leave in the middle of the season.
In the end, a move for Jorginho appealed to Mikel Arteta, but that is not to say that they will not try to sign another midfielder in the summer.
The Verdict: Great alternative
After having two bids rejected, the Emirates Stadium outfit will be expected to go back in for Caicedo this summer, while they have also been strongly linked with a move for West Ham United and England star Declan Rice.
However, if both moves were to fail, then Alvarez would be a great alternative.
Hailed as a ‘monster‘ for his national team Mexico by journalist Felipe Cardenas, the 25-year-old already has 61 caps for them, with two of those coming at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
At club level, he has played over 100 times for Ajax, including 24 games so far this season, and has been a regular in the UEFA Champions League.
Alvarez is already very experienced at the highest level despite his relatively young age, and at 25, his best years are still to come, so he would be a smart buy from Arsenal should a deal get done.
