Matthew Chadder

Sat 19 August 2023 14:10, UK

West Ham remain in talks over the signing of Ajax attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus, according to the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reported online (19 August) that the Hammers are discussing making a £40million offer for the 23-year-old Ghana international.

Jacob Steinberg recently reported via his update in The Guardian (18 August) that Ajax wanted £44m for Kudus, with West Ham’s stance now made clear.

It comes amid developments that David Moyes’ side had missed out on another attacking target after Fabrizio Romano reported via Twitter (19 August) that Elye Wahi was set to seal a switch to RC Lens.

Crucial

Now that the East London outfit have missed out on the signing of Wahi, it is vital that they get a deal across the line for Kudus, otherwise they will end up missing out on both of their primary attacking targets. It now increases the pressure on the club to seal the transfer, which has suddenly become more important than ever.

If an agreement couldn’t be reached between Ajax and the Hammers, they might have had comfort in knowing that they could fall back on the signing of Wahi. Unfortunately for supporters at the London Stadium, this is no longer a possibility.

With the gap between the Dutch and English sides’ valuations only £4m as reported, there will be plenty of frustration if a deal cannot get done. After some high-profile sales this summer, that sort of fee is just a drop in the ocean for the Premier League club.

With a deal there for the taking, and fewer places left to turn, there is no excuse now.

In other West Ham news, one Premier League giant are open to selling a young talent to the Hammers, although a deal won’t be easy.