Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez has recalled missing a move to Chelsea last summer.

The Blues bid €60m for the Mexico international, but Ajax refused to sell.

"At first (I thought about it), because it felt like a mental challenge. But then I changed my focus again, because Ajax is also a big club," Álvarez told Voetbal International.

"I also believe that everything in life happens for a reason. If you look at Chelsea's season now for example, with all sorts of problems, then maybe it should have been like that (that it didn't happen).

"And this season, as difficult as it has been, has also been a learning experience for me."