Who does Edson Alvarez replace in this Chelsea side?

Pride of London ponders which Chelsea player Ajax man Edson Alvarez would replace in this current Chelsea side – if he was to sign for the Blues.

Chelsea has been linked with Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and with the deadline fast approaching, it’s anyone’s guess if the Blues would be able to get him over the line before the window shuts. It’s public knowledge that Chelsea is in need of a central midfielder, however many don’t know who actually would be replaced if a new central midfielder comes in.

Alvarez is a 24-year-old Mexico player who has been playing at the base of a midfield three for Ajax this season. He is versatile, and sometimes plays as a centerback. Last season though, he only played as a lone defensive midfielder for Ajax, which makes sense considering his ability to play as a centerback. Ajax plays a 4-3-3 almost all the time, but Chelsea does not. This means that CFC will need to decide how they want to use the Mexican.

Ajax is a possession-based team and has by far the most average possession in the league. This is relevant because Alvarez averaged 3.4 tackles plus interceptions last season, and has averaged 3.0 tackles plus interceptions per game so far this season.