Chelsea are set to revisit the signing of Edson Alvarez from Ajax in January as Thomas Tuchel was not keen on signing Ibrahim Sangare from PSV, according to reports.
The Blues made a move for Ajax's Alvarez on transfer deadline day but were unsuccessful in their pursuit, with the Mexican remaining in the Netherlands.
The 24-year-old did not show for training on the last day of the transfer window, with him wishing to join Chelsea, but being denied of the opportunity.
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Chelsea were then linked to PSV midfielder Sangare, who was seen as an alternative to Alvarez.
However, Denis Zakaria did arrive before the window slammed shut, joining on a loan deal from Juventus with an option to buy.
Despite the arrival of the Swiss international, Chelsea are reportedly set to return for Alvarez in the winter transfer window.
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The Mexican will be playing at the World Cup at the end of the year, with Chelsea looking to return after the competition and once the January transfer window opens.
As reported by The Athletic, Tuchel wanted to bring the defensive midfielder in and was not keen on Sangare as an alternative.
Therefore, Chelsea will re-enter negotiations for Alvarez in January after N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have suffered injury problems.
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Furhtermore, Dutch journalist Mike Verweij confirmed that a transfer in the winter transfer window could happen, with Ajax and Chelsea set to hold talks over this in the coming days.
Furthermore, according to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea have already directly contacted Alvarez to confirm that they will return for him in January.
With the 24-year-old's versatility, Chelsea could play him in central defence as well as midfield.
It remains to be seen as to whether a deal can be agreed before the opening of the transfer window as Chelsea may be keen to ensure that Alvarez's price tag is not affected by his World Cup performances.
Alternatively, Zakaria could prove to be a smart option and earn his place into the Chelsea side, affecting the likelihood of a deal for Alvarez.
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However, with both Kante and Jorginho's contracts expiring at the end of the season, the Blues will no doubt be looking for midfield reinforcements to avoid a repeat of their situation in terms of defenders during this summer.
Alvarez will remain an Ajax player until at least January, with Chelsea remaining interested.
The Blues will be hopeful of a deal being agreed with Ajax in January, as Tuchel appears to have targeted his man.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Ajax, Thomas Tuchel, Transfers, Football