West Ham United transfer twist as Mohammed Kudus deal now in doubt
West Ham have agreed personal terms with Ajax star Mohammed Kudus, but are unwilling to pay the £3million difference between their £41million bid and the £44million price tag, according to The Guardian.
The report overnight on 20 August shared that the Hammers’ reluctance to meet the asking price has led to the deal being in major doubt, despite doing what rivals Brighton couldn’t in agreeing personal terms with the player.
West Ham’s haggling over £3million could end their chances of completing a deal which was viewed as a coup amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea among others, despite having plenty of money to spend.
Pay the money
Haggling over the sake of £3million when they are prepared to spend £41million regardless seems crazy when dealing with a player of Kudus’ quality. It will be viewed as a typical West Ham move, but could also cost them a huge signing.
While reports previously suggested the deal would hinge on whether or not Lucas Paqueta moved to Manchester City in a deal which is now off the table, their £41million bid suggests otherwise. Adding Kudus to this squad would give them another level of quality.
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten had travelled to Amsterdam for face-to-face talks with Ajax representatives, and talks were thought to have been progressive, but the fee remains a sticking point which has thrown the move into doubt.
Everybody in football is aware that West Ham has received huge fees this summer, with Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca departing for a combined £130million, so there are no doubts they would have the money to do this deal if they wanted to.
In other West Ham news, Gary Neville has given his verdict on one West Ham transfer target.