Official! West Ham midfielder sold for €22m, skips Benfica, Fenerbahçe | OneFootball

It’s official. Fenerbahçe, Benfica’s opponent in the Champions League play-off, announced this Friday, August 22, the arrival of Edson Álvarez from West Ham. He joins the Turkish club on loan with a purchase option of 22 million euros. However, the player will not be available for the match against the Eagles, after the goalless draw in the first leg.

This will be Álvarez’s third experience in Europe after his time at Ajax in the Netherlands, where he stood out in the Champions League, and at West Ham in England, where he gained Premier League experience. His arrival at Fenerbahçe not only strengthens the squad of one of the biggest clubs in Turkish football, but also allows Álvarez to remain competing at a high level with an eye on the World Cup.

The midfielder is recognized for his ball recovery ability, clean build-up from the back, and leadership on the field. In Istanbul, he is expected to contribute tactical balance to the team and become a reference for the club’s young talents, in addition to strengthening Fenerbahçe’s international presence in future European competitions.

Trained at Club América, where he made his senior debut, Edson Álvarez came to Europe in 2019 when he joined Ajax. The midfielder spent two seasons in England, making 31 appearances in 2024/25, but ended up losing his place in Graham Potter’s choices.

The player was an unused substitute on Saturday, when West Ham lost 3-0 to Sunderland in the opening match of the new Premier League season. The opportunity to work with a coach like José Mourinho is still a temptation for some players, so the athlete is expected to be one of the pillars of the Istanbul team in 2025/26.

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