Mohammed Kudus is on the verge of joining Premier League side West Ham United from Dutch giants AFC Ajax. The Ghanaian star has been one of the most sought after players in the transfer market this summer and it looks like he will be getting his big move away from the club.
West Ham are really close to complete Mohammed Kudus deal with Ajax after sending new formal bid tonight 🚨⚒️🇬🇭 #WHUFC
Final details being discussed but West Ham feel 90% of deal is completed — same also on player side.
New bid close to €45m package with sell-on clause. pic.twitter.com/kB3vUAOIu6
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 23, 2023
The 23-year-old has attracted interest from clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Brighton among others this season but West Ham United look favorites to secure his services.
Brighton and Hove Albion were close to signing the player this summer but the move broke down in the end.
The €45 million package that has been presented by The Hammers and was agreed by Ajax will make him the second most expensive purchase in the history of West Ham United.
The most expensive transfer in the history of the West London club is Sebastian Haller, who signed for West Ham from Eintracht Frankfurt for €50 million in 2019. Ironically, the Frenchman moved to Ajax for €22 million the following summer after failing to impress. The hammers will be hoping that this investment pays off better than their last one.
Why has Mohammed Kudus been highly coveted?
The Ghanaian forward is one of the best young players in world football and is one of the brightest African prospects around.
The player began his career with Ghanaian academy Right to dream before moving to Denmark to join Nordsjaelland for the 2017/2018 season. 14 goals and 3 assists in 57 games later, Ajax came knocking and secured his services for €9 million ahead of the 2020/2021 season.
Last season was his breakout year at the Dutch club as he was particularly impressive in the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League group stages where he scored four goals in six appearances.
He made his senior international debut for Ghana in 2019 as a teenager and became a key part of the squad only a short time after that.
At the 2022 World Cup, his brilliant form at club level followed him to the international stage as he scored twice in the three group stage games they played and was their best player at the tournament.
In 42 games played for Ajax last season, he scored 18 goals and assisted on a further seven across all competitions. Although he looks set to move to West Ham, he has already begun the season with Ajax with a goal and an assist in two games already this season.
Kudus is a valuable talent capable of playing multiple positions very well and has the ability to take on different responsibilities for his team. His physical frame allows him to play up top where he can hold up the ball against defences.
His speed allows him to play on the wings or through the middle where he can run in behind the defence and be a goal threat.
His dribbling and carrying ability allows him to travel long distances. Combined with his technique, he is able to receive the ball in deeper areas and carry into midfield or lead attacking transitions. He also has great shooting technique and superb ball striking which will allow him to get goals from midfield.
If he does sign for David Moyes West Ham, he will be a Swiss Army knife for them, allowing them to play in different ways with him as the focal point of that.
Exciting times lay ahead for Hammers fans, Premier League watchers and Mohammed Kudus himself. Less so for opposition defenders.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
