West Ham United announced the signing of Ghana international Mohammed Kudus on Sunday.
The Hammers have been flying of late and have found themselves enjoying a great window despite how bleak it looked initially after the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
Kudus joins former AFC Ajax teammate Edson Alvarez, former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and Southampton stalwart James Ward-Prowse as the East London club’s four signings.
Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez have already slotted in nicely into David Moyes’ XI.
After their latest marquee signing, here is how they could line up with Mohammed Kudus for their next matches in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League.
Nigerian football fans did not have the best weekend thanks to both Remo Stars and Enyimba International bowing out of the CAF Champions League first preliminary round.
GH boy touched down in the East End 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/1UvMIc4XRW
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 27, 2023
West Ham 4-1-4-1 with Mohammed Kudus
Mohammed Kudus is set to upset the starting XI of West Ham but in a good way.
Moyes has deployed a 4-1-4-1 formation since the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season. Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta has covered the wide areas because Moyes prefers to have the explosiveness of Algerian forward Saïd Benrahma off the bench. This tactic has led to a goal this season and it continues to work for the Hammers.
But with Mohammed Kudus being their marquee signing for the summer, he is set to walk straight into the starting XI. This will mean fewer starting minutes for either Paquetá, Ward-Prowse, Tomáš Souček or Alvarez.
🏴 James Ward-Prowse (£30m)
🇲🇽 Edson Álvarez (£35m)
🇬🇭 Mohammed Kudus (£38m)Out of 10, how well do you think West Ham have spent the Declan Rice money? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZEG6ipgC0u
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 27, 2023
Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio will keep their places in the team, as will the defenders because Kudus does not threaten their role.
Here is how Mohammed Kudus’ inclusion into the Irons’ squad will affect their starting XI.
West Ham United XI: Areola; Emerson, Ogbonna, Zouma, Coufal; Alvarez; Kudus, Paquetá, Ward-Prowse, Bowen; Antonio.
Mohammed Kudus: Latest Ghana Black Star in Premier League
This Premier League season, Ghana is one of the most represented African nations. Brighton and Hove Albion’s Tariq Lamptey, Jordan Ayew and Jeffery Schlupp of Crystal Palace, and Arsenal’s Thomas Partey held the forte before Mohammed Kudus joined them.
It is a big deal for Ghanaian football but the teams involved may not be smiling as much when the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) comes around.
The AFCON 2023 tournament is surely going to take a lot out of the Premier League come January 2024.
Lyle Foster of Burnley got his name on the scoresheet for the Clarets over the weekend as the tenth South African goalscorer in the English top flight.
"I like to entertain the fans"@KudusMohammedGH describes his play style on Iron Cast 🎙
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 27, 2023
Come January 2024, he will travel to Ivory Coast for the 34th edition of the continental showpiece alongside other nationals from Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, host nation Ivory Coast, Senegal, Morocco and more.
Mohammed Kudus is a shoo-in for Ghana’s AFCON 2023 squad because he is their brightest talent at the moment, whose ceiling is projected to rise as high as Victor Osimhen and Taiwo Awoniyi.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
