Chelsea foiled as West Ham ‘agree terms’ with 18-goal attacker; £35m bid to be submitted imminently
West Ham United have reportedly reached an agreement on personal terms with Mohammed Kudus, who has also been linked with Chelsea.
David Moyes sees the 23-year-old as a replacement for Lucas Paqueta, who Manchester City are pushing to sign before the transfer window closes.
West Ham have already sold Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m this summer and Paqueta is valued at £95m, so they have plenty of cash at their disposal.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, the Hammers are determined to sign Kudus this summer, but interest from Chelsea cast doubt over a potential deal.
The Ghana international enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 season with Ajax, scoring 18 goals and making seven assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.
Kudus seems determined to secure a move to the Premier League, too. He was heavily linked with a move to Everton last summer, while Brighton also agreed a fee with Ajax, but he decided against joining the Seagulls.
It now seems the attacker has decided on West Ham as his next destination, which will come as a major boost to the London club.
West Ham ‘agree terms’ with Kudus
According to transfer journalist Patrick Berger, West Ham have reached an agreement on personal terms with Kudus. As a result, the only thing left for the Hammers to agree is a transfer fee.
“West Ham have reached agreement on personal terms now with Mohammed Kudus after deal with Brighton failed,” Berger wrote on Twitter.
“[West Ham technical director] Tim Steidten is in the Netherlands pushing on that deal. Clubs are in direct talks too. West Ham are preparing a £35m bid to Ajax.”
Previous reports suggest that Ajax want a fee in the region of £40m for Kudus, so it remains to be seen whether West Ham’s opening offer will be enough to seal a deal.
What’s certain, though is that the Hammers are currently leading the race for the talented Ghanaian.
He has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, so could provide cover in several positions for Moyes this season.
As for Chelsea, it seems they will now have to switch their attention to other options. Mauricio Pochettino reportedly saw Kudus as an alternative to Michael Olise, who rejected the Blues after penning a new deal at Crystal Palace.
Lyon youngster Bradley Barcola seems to be the next name on the shortlist, so he is someone for Chelsea fans to watch out for in the next couple of weeks.
