Mohammed Kudus set to jet into London for West Ham United medical on Saturday as deal agreed with Ajax
Mohammed Kudus is due to fly into London today to undergo a medical ahead of signing for West Ham after a deal was agreed with Ajax, reports The Mirror.
Writing on their official website (26 August), the newspaper outlet report that the Ghana international is due to put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal at the London Stadium to follow Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Dinos Mavropanos as new signings this summer.
Technical director Tim Steidten flew to Bulgaria to seal the deal with Ajax, with the forward netting a hat-trick to help them defeat Ludogrets before agreeing a move to West Ham.
“Technical director Tim Steidten flew to Bulgaria on Thursday to tie up the deal for Kudus after he scored a hat-trick in Ajax’s Europa League win over Ludogorets,” they wrote.
“The Ghanian is expected to fly to London with Steidten on Saturday before having a medical. Personal terms have already been agreed and he will sign a five-year deal to become the second arrival in East London from Amsterdam after Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez.”
After losing Gianluca Scamacca this summer to Atalanta, there were some question marks about if our attack would be be left weaker than it was last season.
But with the signing of Kudus you could argue that it’s now stronger as the Ghana international comes in with Champions League and World Cup experience that the Italian never had.
His versatility is also something that should be considered a coup as he is capable of playing in midfield or across the front line, and his eye for goal is sensational.
There were a host of top clubs linked with a move for Kudus but West Ham moved quickly and efficiently to get a deal done and over the line, and now fans can be excited about his link up with the rest of the squad.
Lucas Paqueta’s expected stay at the club also makes us a more forward thinking team, and the midfield can still be feared across the league even without Declan Rice – even if it is for different reasons.
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REATES NEWS : West Ham swoop for complete £33m-rated machine
West Ham: Moyes could ditch Antonio for £33m-rated machine
West Ham could make a surprise swoop for a Chelsea striker.
West Ham United have gotten off to a great start in the Premier League this term.
A solid draw away to AFC Bournemouth was followed by a stunning win against Chelsea last weekend, ensuring that Mauricio Pochettino still has to wait for his first win.
Recent signing James Ward-Prowse was excellent in the 2-1 win, grabbing two assists and it clearly justified manager David Moyes’ decision to spend £30m in order to lure him from relegated outfit, Southampton.
Although he endured a slow start to his transfer activity during the summer window, it appears as though the Scotsman is making up for lost time, and he has already signed Edson Alvarez and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, along with the aforementioned Englishman.
Could Moyes be about to complete his most ambitious deal yet, however?
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has been linked with the Hammers…
Could West Ham United sign Romelu Lukaku?
According to Caught Offside, the Irons have ‘asked for information’ regarding a potential swoop for the Belgian striker before the transfer window closes.
Having already sold Italian frontman Gianluca Scamacca, Moyes is looking rather short in terms of out-and-out strikers and a move for the Chelsea titan, while ambitious, certainly makes a lot of sense.
He is currently valued by FootballTransfers at €38.3m (£33m), although no fee has been mentioned as yet with regard to any potential transfer.
Could Romelu Lukaku improve West Ham United?
Last season, only three players at the club scored more than ten goals and only one of them was a striker – Michail Antonio.
The Jamaican international netted 14 goals across all competitions, and although this tally was actually one more than the previous term, at 33 years of age, Moyes surely won’t have long left to utilise him.
Lukaku could not only offer Moyes more in terms of attacking quality, but it may also give him the licence to ditch Antonio in the process.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the 30-year-old ranked in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.32) while also ranking in the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.21) and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90 (8.69), clearly suggesting that he can set up teammates often while also getting into the best positions to score plenty of goals.
In contrast, Antonio fails to even rank in the top 30% when compared to peers for all three metrics, indicating that the Belgian would be an instant upgrade.
The former Inter Milan hitman has scored a total of 270 club career goals, adding another 75 for his national side, whereas Antonio has netted 124 goals and it’s evident who would be the bigger danger in front of goal.
Defender Leanardo Bonucci has previously lauded the player, saying:
“Romelu Lukaku has proven himself to be a complete striker. He can win games on his own. When you come up against him you have to be switched on for 100 minutes a game.
“Unfortunately for us defenders, we can’t disengage our brains even for 10 seconds because those 10 seconds might be lethal. You must never engage Lukaku in a physical battle or play touch-tight. Instead, be ready to drop off because when his team has the ball, he will try to run in behind.
“In the box, he’s great at playing man-to-man so you need to be on the front foot, try to read the game and play hard. If you let him take up a position and he gets ahead of you, you won’t be able to step out and anticipate what’s coming.”
There is no doubt he could improve West Ham and after a difficult year or two, a fresh start under Moyes at the London Stadium could be the ideal remedy for him to recapture his best form.
