Turkish giants Fenerbahce are on the verge of completing a loan deal for West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez, according to reports from talkSPORT. The move would make Alvarez the latest high-profile signing for the club as manager Jose Mourinho continues to rebuild the squad.
The Mexican international was an unused substitute in West Ham’s recent 3-0 loss to Sunderland, and he is now set to depart the club after two seasons. Since joining the Hammers from Ajax in 2023 for a reported £35 million fee, the 27-year-old has made 73 appearances.
Alvarez’s arrival comes as Fenerbahce prepares for a crucial Champions League play-off clash against Portuguese powerhouse Benfica. Having advanced to this stage with a 6-4 aggregate victory over Feyenoord, Mourinho’s side is just two matches away from securing a spot in the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The loser of the tie will drop into the Europa League.
Mourinho, a two-time Champions League winner, is clearly determined to lead Fenerbahce back to Europe’s elite competition. The potential signing of Alvarez is seen as a key step in strengthening the team for this ambitious goal.
The acquisition of Alvarez would cap a busy summer transfer window for Fenerbahce, which has already seen several notable additions. These include Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina, tough-tackling defender Milan Skriniar from Paris Saint-Germain, and former Wolves captain Nelson Semedo on a free transfer. The club also secured a loan deal for striker Jhon Duran from Al Nassr.
Despite the positive transfer news, the team has faced some internal speculation regarding Duran. Rumors of a rift between the Colombian striker and Mourinho arose after reports that Duran had failed to attend pre-season training. However, Fenerbahce’s head of communications, Alper Yemeniciler, was quick to deny the claims. “The alleged statements attributed to our head coach Jose Mourinho in the foreign press regarding our player Jhon Duran are entirely false,” Yemeniciler stated. “Our coach has not made any statements on this matter. Our player arrived in Portugal this [Wednesday] evening to join our team’s Algarve training camp.”
The first leg of Fenerbahce’s decisive play-off against Benfica is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 pm.
