West Ham’s pursuit of Mohammed Kudus has taken an intriguing turn as the Ghanaian suggested that his remarkable hat-trick in Ajax’s 4-1 victory against Ludogorets may have marked his farewell appearance for the Dutch giants.
The Hammers are reportedly close to securing Kudus in a deal worth an initial £35.5 million, with an additional £2.5 million in potential add-ons. While personal terms are not expected to pose a hurdle, Ajax’s valuation of Kudus could be influenced by his outstanding display on Thursday night in Bulgaria.
In a Dutch TV interview following his hat-trick, Kudus was asked about the prospect of moving to West Ham, to which he responded positively, saying, “West Ham? [They are a] Good club, yes.” He then hinted at his potential departure from Ajax, saying, “I think it was my final game here at Ajax. I don’t have control over anything but let’s see what happens. The talks are going on. We have to see if an agreement is reached in the next few days. Then we take it from there. That’s not my call or my job; I just do my thing on the pitch, and my team takes care of the rest.”
When questioned about how much he would miss Ajax if the transfer were to materialise, Kudus remained cautious, stating, “I will answer that when everything is official.”
Reports suggest that West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, flew to Bulgaria via a private jet on Thursday night to finalise the details of the transfer with Ajax. While Ajax have been reluctant to part ways with Kudus late in the transfer window, West Ham’s offer is believed to be acceptable, even if it leaves Ajax with limited time to secure a replacement.
Earlier in the transfer window, Kudus failed to reach a personal agreement with Brighton, who had struck a deal for the 23-year-old forward.
Credit : 3xtra
