Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez has left the door open to a Premier League move amid links with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
The 25-year-old was thought to have been the subject of interest from several clubs over the summer, with the Blues trying and failing to engineer a late deal.
Chelsea were rumoured to have been well-placed to sign Alvarez in the summer window, with the West London club pushing to bring him to Stamford Bridge late on in the window.
Ajax reportedly turned down an offer of £43m for Alvarez from Chelsea, and the Mexico international then refused to train with the Dutch champions in an attempt to force an exit.
A move ultimately did not materialize as Alvarez remained in Amsterdam, where he has remained a key player this season with a goal and two assists in 16 matches in all competitions.
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Having only penned a contract extension last October, Alvarez is not due to become a free agent until 2025, but he is still dreaming of a move elsewhere in the future.
When asked by ESPN about his failed move to Chelsea, Alvarez said: "I am very disappointed about it. But I am convinced that one day another big club will come for me. This winter, or in the summer. For now I can only focus on Ajax."
Man United and Barcelona are now rumoured to have joined the race to sign Alvarez, who has amassed 10 goals and five assists from 119 outings for Ajax since joining from Club America in 2019.
Following the end of the summer transfer window, Alfred Schreuder confirmed that the midfielder was keen to sign for Chelsea but soon reaffirmed his commitment to the Amsterdam club.
"Chelsea reported themselves for Edson Alvarez on the final day and Alvarez wanted this. For one day he was feeling very down by yesterday he told me: 'Coach, I am here and I will give 100% again'." Schrueder told ESPN.
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Chelsea did boost their midfield ranks in the summer by snapping up Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, with the youngster now competing with loan signing Denis Zakaria, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for starts.
However, Kante and Jorginho are both due to leave as free agents at the end of the season as things stand, having both entered the final 12 months of their contracts at Stamford Bridge.
Both players are thought to be keen to extend their stays in the English capital, but negotiations with Kante are proving difficult due to the length of his proposed deal and his thigh injury.
The Frenchman is thought to be after a three-year deal, but Chelsea are only willing to offer him a firm two years with the option of a further 12 months, and Graham Potter has insisted that discussions are not a priority while he recovers from surgery.
Barcelona have been linked with moves for the duo in recent weeks, and Kante has supposedly been identified by the Blaugrana as their number one target to replace Sergio Busquets.
Ben Knapton
