Scottish Premiership champions Celtic reportedly wanted to sign Mexico international Alvarez before he joined Eredivisie champions Ajax instead.
Celtic did not want Edson Alvarez for his ability to dominate the centre of the park against Livingston and St Johnstone. Instead, the Mexico international was supposed to be a signing capable of taking The Hoops to the next level in Europe.
But if his error-strewn performance in a friendly clash against an Argentina side without Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero or Gonzalo Higuain is anything to go by, Alvarez still has a lot to learn.
There was a time when the former Club America enforcer, who made his name as a centre-back but transitioned into midfield in recent months, appeared to be Celtic’s main and most ambitious transfer target of the year.
According to ESPN, Scottish champions offered £5.2 million for his services to boot. But, once Ajax got involved with around £150 million in their back pockets following the sales of Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, Celtic’s chances were over.
Alvarez moved to Amsterdam rather than Glasgow but no one on the green half of Scotland’s second city will be pining for the 21-year-old after he was brutally exposed by an Argentina side inspired by hat-trick hero Lautaro Martinez.
Argentina ran riot, winning 4-0, and Alvarez was arguably the worst of the bunch, rated 3/10 by ESPN and slammed by an exasperated El Tri fan base on social media.
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