Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus is about the be the subject of a bidding war between Premier League sides Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United.
The 23-year-old is looking to leave the Netherlands after spending the last three years at Ajax and has a lot of interest from English clubs. He has been linked to Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton.
East London side West Ham have thrown their hat in the ring for the player. Brighton is believed to be in the lead for Mohammed Kudus but West Ham’s involvement is set to spark a bidding war.
EXCL: West Ham now open initial talks to sign Mohammed Kudus — priority target in case Lucas Paquetá leaves to join Manchester City ⚒️🇬🇭 #WHUFC
Positive talks on player side, Kudus open to the move — still waiting to approach Ajax as deal will depend on Paquetá. pic.twitter.com/APjpMxVy56
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 14, 2023
Mohammed Kudus as Lucas Paqueta replacement – reports
West Ham are on the verge of losing Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá who joined them from Olympique Lyonnais last season.
The 25-year-old midfielder was pivotal in their run-up to the UEFA Europa Conference League final which they won to claim the competition’s third-ever trophy in June. Manchester City are the team looking to snap up the midfielder and the Cityzens are willing to pay a fortune to make the deal happen.
Paquetá is reportedly keen on the deal because he is an admirer of Pep Guardiola, who has also been reported to have gotten in touch with the player. West Ham tried to fight the move initially but reports indicate that they have resigned themselves to it.
They identified Mohammed Kudus as a replacement for the midfielder and have now initiated moves to bring the Ghana international to the London Stadium. This is despite Brighton and Hove Albion’s already existing contacts with AFC Ajax, Kudus’ current club.
The Seagulls had reportedly reached a £34.5 million agreement to sign the former Nordsjælland man earlier in August but now, West Ham is looking to reinvest the £105 million war chest they have acquired from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal on Mohammed Kudus.
West Ham could sign Mohamed Kudus for just £34m@standardsport pic.twitter.com/9V1NnEAa0M
— West Ham (C)entral 🏆 (@WestHam_Central) August 15, 2023
Reports indicate that Brighton had pulled out of the race because they were not interested in a bidding war but they still hold an interest in the player. It is possible that they will be back if West Ham, Ajax and Kudus fail to reach an agreement.
Mohammed Kudus or Lovro Majer as Paquetá replacement
Mohammed Kudus is on West Ham’s radar but the Hammers have also identified an option that will cost less to replace Paquetá.
The Ghana international could cost West Ham as much as £35 million but David Moyes has also pointed the West Ham administration in the direction of Lovro Majer, who plies his trade in French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.
Moyes is probably looking to replicate the success he had with Paquetá who he signed from the French Ligue 1 with Majer. The 25-year-old Croatian midfielder has been described as the new Luka Modric and it was also reported that Barcelona tried to acquire his services a while ago.
Majer is also a better fit to replace the Brazilian at West Ham than Mohammed Kudus because he is usually deployed in roles similar to those that Paquetá occupies. Kudus is versatile but is best utilised in a box-to-box role while Paquetá likes to operate deeper in the field.
Chelsea are still interested in Mohammed Kudus. No movement made yet, but one to watch.
Olise is the priority in the AM/RW profile, with talks on with Crystal Palace. pic.twitter.com/r657Qyzcsy
— Felix (@FelixJohnston_) August 15, 2023
It remains to be seen who the Conference League title holders will go for in the coming weeks.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 months ago
