- West Ham United are now two points behind safety
- Edson Álvarez left the Hammers for Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe last summer
- Fener are expected to go against pursuing a permanent deal for Álvarez
Edson Álvarez’s plans to end an unfruitful spell at West Ham United are expected to be scuppered. The Mexican midfielder arrived in East London in August 2023 from Ajax for a reported fee of £35 million as part of the Hammers’ Declan Rice succession plans following the latter’s then-league-record move to Arsenal the month prior.
However, Álvarez’s first two seasons at West Ham delivered little of the promise that he arrived with. The 96-capped Mexican international’s combative profile yielded minimal solidity in West Ham’s engine room, and combined with an already ageing midfield department, the 27-year-old’s presence exposed a need for pace as Mateus Fernandes has showcased this campaign.
Álvarez was loaned to Turkish Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe last summer, but according to one national report, the move has not been a success.
Fenerbahçe expected to go against pursuing a permanent deal for Edson Álvarez
Edson Álvarez and his agents have been informed that Fenerbahçe will not exercise their buy option, according to the club’s technical director Zeki Murat Göle, who confirmed the news to the Turkish newspaper Takvim.
Álvarez’s time at the club has been characterised by limited playing time and injuries since the turn of the year. Signed by the then-manager José Mourinho, who left Fener two weeks after Álvarez’s arrival, the loanee has fallen behind the pecking order under German coach Domenico Tedesco with former Premier League midfielders Fred, Mattéo Guendouzi and N’Golo Kanté seen as the preferred pairing.
Tedesco left Fenerbahçe at the end of last month, but Álvarez’s return from an ankle operation has meant that he has only played one minute since then – against İstanbul Başakşehir on May 2.
Álvarez, a key part of World Cup hosts Mexico’s tournament hopes, has drawn ire from Fenerbahçe’s supporters and board for preserving his international status ahead of the club’s erratic season, confirming their 12th season without a league title after Galatasaray secured the Süper Lig last weekend.
Fenerbahçe’s £19 million purchase option would have been seen as a much-needed boost to West Ham’s struggling finances, with relegation looming. The Hammers are expected to offload numerous first-team assets regardless of their end-of-season status, with Álvarez seen as a prime choice for exit alongside the unwanted sales of Jarrod Bowen and Fernandes.
