Edson Alvarez was close to joining Chelsea instead of West Ham last season before the transfer collapsed.
The Mexico international joined David Moyes’ side last August in a £35million as the replacement for Declan Rice, who secured a £105m move to Premier League giants Arsenal.
While Alvarez, 26, has proved to be a shrewd signing, there was a possibility a move to the London Stadium never materialised as he was close to joining bitter London rivals Chelsea.
The midfielder spent four years with Ajax and was subject to intense interest from the Blues during the 2022 summer window but the Dutch giants blocked a move after already losing both Antony and Lisandro Martinez, who joined Manchester United.
Alvarez revealed that he was “an hour away from getting on the plane” as he opened up about his near move to Stamford Bridge two years ago.
