Borussia Dortmund make surprise revelation about Mexico star Edson Alvarez

It was reported that the German giants were in advanced talks over a deal for the Ajax midfielder, but pulled a U-turn and decided against signing the player as they refused to meet the Dutch club's asking price. It has been suggested that Dortmund had even agreed to personal terms with the player, but Ajax refused to budge on their €45 million (£39m/$49 million) valuation.However, Dortmund CEO Watzke has now insisted that the club were not involved in any negotiation with Ajax as they already had alternatives lined up.

In terms of Álvarez, we were never as far as the media reported," Watzke told Sport Bild.There were never any negotiations with Ajax Amsterdam about him. If we were on the verge of a transfer, Ajax would certainly have heard from us. There were alternatives A, B and C

It has been reported that BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl was convinced by the qualities of Alvarez and had put in a lot of effort to get the deal over the line. However, the Black and Yellows had to subsequently settle for Marcel Sabitzer from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, with the midfielder completing a €19 million (£16m/$21m) move on a four-year contract.

Alvarez is now reportedly on the verge of joining Premier League outfit West Ham, after the Hammers agreed a £32 million deal for the player. He is likely to sign a five-year contract and is considered to be a replacement for Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal in a British record deal last month.