According to Pete O’Rouke via Football Insider, Mohammed Kudus could end up parting ways with West Ham United this summer. While the Hammers are reluctant to let go of one of their best players, they could still end up sanctioning his departure as it will help them fund a rebuild ahead of next season amid his links with Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Kudus joined the East London club in the summer of 2023 after making a name for himself at Ajax. While he had an exceptional debut campaign, things went downhill for him in the second season following the departure of David Moyes.
Despite having contributed towards just nine goals throughout the 2024/25 season, there is still no shortage of interest in the 24-year-old. Chelsea and Newcastle United are two English clubs that are keen on signing the Ghanaian right-winger.
The Blues seek more quality on the flanks, and they consider Mohammed an ideal fit for their project. While they were willing to offer a player in exchange, West Ham are not interested in such a deal. They will only sell him on their terms.
Enzo Maresca’s team will have to act swiftly if they could miss out on the former Ajax star as Newcastle are willing to go all out for Mohammed Kudus. They have been on the lookout for a new right-winger for some time now. Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo was a top target for them. But with him set to join Manchester United, they are looking at Kudus.
While speaking about the West Ham winger’s future to Football Insider, Pete O’Rouke said, “There’s also going to be competition for Kudus’ signature.”
“I think Chelsea have shown a bit of an interest as well offering a player exchange, which I don’t think West Ham are that keen on. So Newcastle will have to move quickly to try and get this deal done for Kudus. West Ham probably, reluctantly, will sell him, because they know they have to, sort of fund their own rebuild of the squad, and Kudus will be sacrificed because of that.”
While West Ham rate him very highly and do not really want to part ways with him, they might not have many options to play with. After a disappointing campaign last time out, they need to undergo a rebuild and will have to raise funds by selling a few of their players.
Kudus’s departure could significantly boost their transfer kitty. Newcastle United are aware of the situation and they are looking to make the most out of it. But as per O’Rouke via Football Insider, the Magpies won’t trigger his £75 million release clause.
Football Insider’s senior correspondent said, “Newcastle really do need to bring in a player to sort of bolster them in that position. Because it’s been an ongoing issue, probably for the last three to four transfer windows.
“He’s not going to come cheap, Kudus, there’s no doubt about that. He has got a £75m pound release clause in there. I don’t think Newcastle will be willing to meet that. I’m sure they’ll be looking to negotiate a lower fee than that.”
The Magpies are very keen on signing the Ghanaian international, but they are unlikely to trigger his release. The Tyneside club will look to negotiate a lower fee. But with three years still left on his deal, Eddie Howe’s team will certainly have to break the bank to sign Mohammed Kudus. He surely won’t come cheap. Meanwhile, Chelsea could cause further problems for them, if they fail to get a deal over the line in the coming days.
