Take it or Leave It | Arsenal Name Their Price for West Ham Star
West Ham have reportedly been informed by Arsenal that the Gunners will not pay more than £50 million for winger Mohammed Kudus.
Over the past 48 hours, rumours have swirled about Kudus’s impending move to North London, but Claret & Hugh spoke to a top West Ham source last night who insisted that no contact has been made between the two clubs.
Kudus, who was signed from Ajax for £38 million plus add-ons nearly two years ago, is widely viewed as West Ham’s best asset in terms of generating funds for a summer spending spree. However, a £50m fee would represent only a marginal profit, and West Ham are aware that the player’s form this season has not justified the £85m buyout clause.
A separate source at the London Stadium dismissed a separate reported £59m offer from Arsenal as “derisory”, but the Hammers find themselves in a precarious position.
Manager Graham Potter is eager to rebuild the squad, but with Kudus’s stock having dropped, West Ham may struggle to achieve the kind of fee they initially expected.
There is a sense that Arsenal are playing hardball, similar to how they handled the Declan Rice transfer, where the Gunners waited for the market to cool before striking. Back then, there was a second bidder in Manchester City, and West Ham will be hoping for Saudi or Liverpool interest to drive up Kudus’s transfer fee.
However, C&H was informed yesterday that Liverpool are keen on Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, who has also been linked with a move to the London Stadium. Wissa is believed to want guaranteed football which could resurrect Anfield interest in Kudus.
Reading between the lines, it appears that Arsenal’s interest in Kudus is genuine, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a compromise reached.
