West Ham slap £40m price tag on 'titan' wanted by Man Utd
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The West Ham midfielder impressed during his first season of Premier League football last term.
West Ham could accept a bid in excess of £40 million from Manchester United should the club's Premier League rivals be seriously considering a swoop for defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez.
The Mexican only arrived at the London Stadium from Ajax last summer in a £35 million deal and has impressed in his first season at the club. Alvarez previously worked with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag in the Netherlands and has now emerged as a summer target for United.
Football Insider report that the chance to reunite with the Manchester United manager could appeal to the midfielder, who made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers last season.
Manchester United are also believed to be enquiring for Benfica star Joao Neves but a £40 million deal for Alvarez is thought to be much more preferable than having to fork out £70 million to activate the former's release clause.
West Ham are entering a new era this summer with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui taking over from David Moyes and have already been active in the transfer market. Football Insider adds that Alvarez is one of several players the club could cash in on this summer to fund a transition period.
The London club will be cautious though, with a struggle for grit in defensive midfield at times since losing Declan Rice a year ago. Manchester City man Kalvin Phillips came in on loan towards the end of last season but struggled to prove he could be the man for the job.
Alvarez, who LondonWorld hailed as a 'titan' for his defensive work against Brentford earlier this year, would certainly need replacing if allowed to leave the club still with four years left on his contract.