Chelsea chief Todd Boehly set to break transfer promise despite big discount

A Chelsea transfer target who was reportedly subject to a late £43million bid last summer could now be off to the Bundesliga instead and for less money. Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez was believed to be on Todd Boehly’s expensive list of new signings after the billionaire completed his takeover of the West London club in May last year.

A £274million summer spending spree brought the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge, but a deal for Alvarez could not be concluded.

Reports at the time indicated that the Blues had made a last-minute bid of £43million for the Mexican international, but that offer was rejected by Ajax. Transfer guru Ben Jacobs told The Football Terrace that Boehly reassured the player that he would return for him in a subsequent transfer window but the promise of that moment has not come to pass.

And now, reported interest from two of German football’s leading clubs suggests that Alvarez may never get his dream move to the Premier League after all.

According to German media outlet Sport1, both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund want Alvarez. Furthermore, it is claimed that Ajax could be prepared to sell their man for just £30million – £13million less than what they were offered by Chelsea last summer.

Boehly’s apparent about-turn on signing Alvarez appears to have been influenced by interest in other midfield targets. The capital club paid a record £106.8million transfer fee to bring Argentina World Cup star Enzo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge before attempting to land Brighton enforcer Moises Caicedo.

The Blues looked odds-on to land the Segulls’ Ecuadorian star, submitting a £55million bid, but after it was rejected, title-chasing Arsenal came to the table with an even bigger offer of £60million, which was also dismissed, even after the player himself issued a statement expressing his desire to join the Gunners.

Having spent over £550million on new players during a 12-month period in which he has also fired two managers, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, Boehly’s primary focus now must be to reduce the size of his bloated, highly-paid squad ahead of the anticipated arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s next manager.

But the apparent willingness on behalf of Ajax to allow Alvarez to head to Germany for a significantly lower fee suggests that savy clubs may have been slapped a ‘Boehly tax’ on their own star players since the billionaire took over the reins from Roman Abramovich 12 months ago.

Alvarez has made 38 appearances for Ajax in all competitions this season, scoring four goals.