West Ham United have received a second bid from AS Monaco for midfielder Edson Alvarez, the Daily Mail reports.
The Ligue 1 club are ramping up their efforts to sign the Mexican midfielder after having an initial loan bid turned down.
Alvarez has been angling for a move away from the London Stadium and could finally get his wish this month.
West Ham paid £35 million to sign the midfielder from Ajax in 2023 after a series of dazzling performances that drew interest from some of the top clubs in the league, including Chelsea.
Alvarez impressed in his debut season. He made 42 appearances across all competitions, contributing two goals and two assists.
He also played a key role in West Ham’s run to the Europa League quarter-finals.
However, he has struggled to build on that solid foundation this season, starting 11 of his 16 Premier League appearances. He has been sent off twice.
Despite his struggles, Alvarez is still considered a key player at West Ham, so it is unclear if the club will grant him an exit this month.
He still has three years left to run on his existing contract, so the Hammers are under no immediate pressure to sell.
They will undoubtedly prefer to recoup their initial investment in the midfielder if he leaves the club.
West Ham could reinvest the proceeds into signing a striker
Alvarez started the first game of the Graham Potter era at Aston Villa, but that doesn’t guarantee he will remain at the club beyond the January window.
His performance was far from inspiring, which has been a recurring theme this season, and West Ham may be better off cashing in while they can.
The proceeds from his exit could be used to address the club’s attacking woes, with Niclas Fullkrug now joining Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen on the sidelines.
The German striker lasted just 15 minutes in the FA Cup tie against Villa before leaving the pitch with a hamstring problem and has been ruled out for several weeks.
If West Ham need to raise funds to address their attacking woes, cashing in on Alvarez is a no-brainer – he wants to leave the club anyway.
