Chelsea chief Todd Boehly could have plan ruined by Man Utd duo

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s hopes of signing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez in January could be thwarted by the player’s former team-mates at Manchester United, according to reports. The Blues are believed to be keen on bringing Alvarez to Stamford Bridge at the turn of the year after trying and failing to do so towards the end of the summer window in spite of the 25-year-old’s desire to leave Ajax.A potential move to Chelsea for Alvarez remains a strong possibility, though, if the west Londoners decide to reignite their pursuit of his signature when January rolls around. However, there is a chance that United could jump the queue to land the midfielder ahead of Chelsea by calling on Antony and Lisandro Martinez to help out, according to Calciomercato.It is said that the presence of the United duo at Old Trafford could give the Red Devils the upper hand in the race to sign Alvarez, who has already made 16 appearances for Ajax in all competitions since the beginning of the season. Both players have adjusted well to life in the Premier League and have played key roles for United in rescuing their domestic form as of late after an initially poor start to the new campaign.United will be hoping that Antony and Martinez will be able to convince Alvarez to pick the Red Devils over Chelsea when the bidding opens in January, although it remains to be seen where the Mexican playmaker will be plying his trade when the window draws to a close. Ajax have reportedly given the green light to sell Alvarez when he returns from World Cup duty but are yet to reach an agreement with any club in regards to a concrete move for his signature.JUST IN: Chelsea suffer blow in £43m bid to replace Reece James in January Chelsea owner Todd Boehly could see his January plans thwarted by Antony and Lisandro Martinez (Image: GETTY)Chelsea’s interest in Alvarez is said to have persisted in spite of their failure to bring him in at the end of the summer window, with the likes of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante set to leave the Blues on free transfers next summer as things stand. However, the midfielder has already been warned against pushing for a move to Chelsea by former Ajax star Andy Van der Meyde, who believes that he is only being targeted as an alternative to Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.”For a player, it’s not because they really have confidence in you, otherwise they would have knocked on your door sooner,’ Van der Meyde told Veronica Offside when quizzed on Chelsea’s interest in Alvarez. “Now they want to make a panic purchase and he wants to leave Ajax straight away, then he must realise they just want me because they have nothing else.”DON’T MISSHargreaves names Man Utd’s ‘perfect attacker’ who can score 250 goalsArteta offers Pablo Mari update as defender in hospital after stabbingBarcelona may spark Man Utd and Chelsea scrap as two ‘up for sale’ Chelsea tried and failed to bring Edson Alvarez to west London over the summer (Image: EXPRESS)Chelsea were also urged to snub a move for Alvarez earlier this month by Dutch legend Wesley Sneijder, who questioned his ability to play out from the back in the way that Graham Potter will demand from him at Stamford Bridge. However, Rio Ferdinand was quick to play down Sneijder’s comments when quizzed on Alvarez’s performance for Ajax against Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek.”I saw some comments from Wesley Sneijder saying that Ajax should have got rid of him when Chelsea put in a bid for him because he passes the ball backwards,” said Ferdinand in his role as a pundit on BT Sport.”But he does some of the stuff you don’t normally see, definitely not Instagrammable. He does the stuff when he breaks the play up and allows the more creative players to go and perform. These types of players are so invaluable and you appreciate them so much because they give you the platform to go and play the football Ajax love to play.”WIN A FREE ENGLAND SHIRT FOR THE WORLD CUP!