West Ham United have opened talks to sign Mohammed Kudus from Ajax this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Ghanaian is open to moving to the Premier League club, but the deal is contingent on Manchester City signing Lucas Paqueta from the Hammers.
Kudus is open to leaving Ajax this summer and had already asked to move, but he will stay until City take Paqueta.
He has impressed at Ajax since joining them in 2020. He has become a mainstay for the club after initially struggling to nail down a starting spot despite his obvious talent.
The 23-year-old was superb for the Amsterdam club last season, bagging 11 goals and three assists in 30 league appearances.
Kudus also notched four goals and two assists in six Champions League appearances.
He also starred at the 2022 World Cup for Ghana, netting twice for the African nation.
Kudus’ performances have attracted the interest of Arsenal and Chelsea. Brighton & Hove Albion also submitted an offer for the versatile star.
He scored and looked imperious in Ajax’s opening fixture of the new season against Heracles. He may bring that versatility and productivity to the London Stadium.
The Hammers have already seen one major departure this summer with Declan Rice joining Arsenal, and Paqueta could move to City.
West Ham have already signed Edson Alvarez from Ajax to replace Rice. Second summer signing James Ward-Prowse joined them today for £30 million.
Next on their agenda could be Kudus if Paqueta joins City. They are also trying to sign Manchester United’s Harry Maguire.
Another attacker will be on their agenda after missing out on Carlos Borges, who joined Ajax from Man City.
