West Ham holding midfielder seen as an option for Benfica | OneFootball

Edson Álvarez has once again been mentioned as a possible Benfica signing for the new season. The report points to an alleged move by the Eagles to enter the race for the Mexico international, who is currently under contract with West Ham.

Cologne have already opened talks with the 28-year-old defensive midfielder and believe an agreement can be reached. Even so, the officials at the English club are still demanding high figures to let the player leave. The information was reported by Florian Plettenberg, a journalist for Sky Sports Germany.

Despite the reports that emerged in Germany, Benfica’s interest does not reflect reality. The club’s SAD has no intention whatsoever of moving forward with the signing of the midfielder developed at Club América. Last season, Edson Álvarez played for Fenerbahçe on loan from West Ham, making 18 appearances for the Turkish side. The Mexico international remains tied to the London club until June 2028.

During the summer, the midfielder was also included in Mexico’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, a tournament in which he featured in four matches, two of them as a starter. While Edson Álvarez’s name is being ruled out of Benfica’s plans, João Palhinha remains at the top of the club’s list of priorities to strengthen the midfield.

Marco Silva believes the Portugal international has the ideal qualities to add experience, intensity and balance to the middle of the park. However, getting the deal done is still proving complicated, mainly because of strong competition from clubs such as Juventus and Aston Villa.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.