Joe Roberts

Wed 23 August 2023 6:10, UK

West Ham United must cough up the cash and sign Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus before European giants Barcelona get to him first.

Spanish outlet Sport has reported (22 August) that the 23-year-old was “in the orbit” of Xavi Hernandez’s side and have considered a loan-to-buy for the Ghanaian. Ajax themselves value Kudus in excess of £34million.

Fabrizio Romano claimed (21 August) that West Ham consider Kudus a transfer priority this summer in their bid to boost their squad despite having a bid already rejected, per David Ornstein (20 August).

Now, with the Hammers facing a fresh threat from one of football’s most historic clubs, they will need to be hasty and submit a convincing bid if they truly want the midfielder in their ranks.

While West Ham have been very active in the midfield market, with the signings of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez so far this summer, they would still be keen to bolster this area.

In terms of midfield outgoings, they have lost Flynn Downes on loan to Southampton, Nikola Vlasic, Manuel Lanzini and, of course, their former captain Declan Rice.

There is still a need to improve the midfield and if Kudus joins, the middle of the park would be vastly improved from last season even with Rice’s departure.

While Barcelona’s recent financial turmoil has often left them struggling to even register new signings, they remain one of footballing history’s elite institutions and a club that many football players dream of playing for.

Kudus has been of interest to Barcelona in the past and the club have even been in contact with the player’s entourage regarding a deal, while Barca and Ajax “maintain a very good relationship” and share a “spirit of mutual collaboration”.

The clubs’ historical links could put the La Liga champions in pole position unless the Hammers act fast. Negotiations from West Ham’s point of view have not exactly been straightforward. Their frequent rejection by Southampton during the Ward-Prowse saga left many questioning their strategy.

While they did get the deal done in the end, it was feared that they would not secure Ward-Prowse as they initially refused to meet the Saints’ asking price. They can’t afford to do the same again with Kudus.

He would be an excellent addition to West Ham and the move would be a true statement of intent from David Sullivan while his versatility would make him a shoo-in for the starting XI.

According to TransferMarkt, Kudus has played in central midfield, right-wing and centre-forward in Ajax’s short season so far. 90mins journalist Graeme Bailey claimed on the Talking Transfers podcast (18 August) that he could even replace the exit-linked Michail Antonio as the Hammers’ starting striker.

With ExWHUEmployee claiming on his Patreon (18 August) that there is just a £5million gap in both clubs’ valuation for Kudus, the Hammers must seize this opportunity to secure one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.

In other West Ham news, the Hammers had made a “huge” £40million bid for a Ligue 1 forward before he committed his future elsewhere.