West Ham’s summer transfer window saw an unprecedented overhaul of the squad.
Michail Antonio departed on a free after his car crash, Mohamed Kudus joined rivals Tottenham, Nayef Aguerd sealed a move to Marseille, and long-serving duo Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal also moved on.
Another to leave was Mexican midfielder Edson Álvarez, who joined Turkish giants Fenerbahce on loan with an option to buy for £19 million next summer.
But so far, Álvarez’s spell in Turkey hasn’t gone to plan, and now, he’s spilled the beans on his nightmare start to life at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.
Álvarez Opens Up on Fenerbahce Struggles
The 27-year-old endured a torrid debut, facing criticism from sections of the Turkish press, and has now suffered an untimely injury while on international duty with Mexico against Japan.
To make matters worse, the man he credits for luring him to Istanbul — Jose Mourinho — has already been sacked.
Speaking after limping off in Mexico’s 0-0 draw, Álvarez admitted this was far from the start he had envisioned.
“These have been very challenging weeks of learning,” Álvarez told journalist Miroslava Montemayor. “Now I’m dealing with what happened to me on Saturday but, well, it’s all part of the story. We’re waiting for results [on the severity of my injury] and we hope it’s as mild as possible.”
On Mourinho’s sudden dismissal, he was frank: “Obviously, and it’s no secret because it was said everywhere, that a large part of my decision [to join Fenerbahce] was because of [Mourinho]. I had a lot of contact with him before going to Fener. He was a key player.”
He added: “When they give you the news [about Mourinho’s sacking], it’s not pleasant to hear. But anyway, I’m not going to sit back and cry. We have a very competitive team. I got there because of the coach but also because of the board, who wanted me.”
It’s been a tough start, and with no obligation to buy in his loan deal, the door remains ajar for Álvarez to return to West Ham.
Ironically, Mourinho himself has since been linked with the Hammers’ hot seat should Graham Potter’s struggles continue — raising the strange possibility of the pair reuniting in East London instead of Istanbul. Stranger things have happened.
