On July 18, according to German Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Benfica has joined the battle for Mexican midfielder Alvarez.

The reporter said: "Big news - Benfica officially joins the battle for Alvarez.

Köln still hopes to finalize this deal, but the cost of the entire transfer package is still too high at this stage.

Now all parties are watching what kind of offer Benfica will make."

The 28-year-old Alvarez's current German transfer value is 15 million euros, and his contract with West Ham United runs until 2028.

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