West Ham in Talks to Sign Ajax Midfielder Mohammed Kudus
West Ham are in talks with Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus over a big-money move to London Stadium. The 23-year-old Ghana international scored a hat-trick in Ajax’s Europa League play-off win over Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Thursday, and afterwards hinted that it could be his last match for the Dutch side.
Kudus has been the subject of huge interest from Premier League clubs this summer, with Brighton understood to have reached an agreement with Ajax earlier this month, but were unable to finalise personal terms.
Kudus started his professional career at Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2018 before joining Ajax in 2020, where he has scored 27 goals in 87 appearances, helping his side to two Dutch league titles. He scored 11 goals in 30 Eredivisie appearances last season as Ajax finished third, and has scored seven goals in 24 games for Ghana since making his debut in 2019, starting all three matches for his side at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and scoring twice in a 3-2 win over South Korea.
If the deal is completed, Kudus will become manager David Moyes’ second purchase from Ajax this summer following the arrival of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez in a deal thought to be worth about £35m, as well as the signings of midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart earlier this month.
West Ham have been busy in the transfer market this summer as they look to build on their sixth place finish in the Premier League last season and qualify for Europe for the first time since 2016. Kudus would add much needed depth to their midfield and provide a creative spark to their attack, with his ability to score goals from midfield a major asset for Moyes’ side.
Kudus is highly rated in the Netherlands and has been tipped for a bright future in the game, and a move to West Ham could be the perfect platform for him to showcase his talents on the biggest stage in world football – the Premier League.
The Hammers are yet to agree a fee with Ajax for Kudus, but it is believed that they are willing to pay up to £30m for the midfielder’s services – a fee that would make him one of the most expensive African players ever signed by an English club.
West Ham have already made some impressive signings this summer, and if they can complete a deal for Kudus it would be another statement of intent from the club as they look to build on their impressive sixth place finish last season and qualify for Europe for the first time since 2016.