West Ham sign Ajax star for €41.5m - how good is winger Mohammed Kudus?

Ajax are undoubtedly one of the most famous clubs in all of European football when it comes to developing young players. The Eredivisie giants have a long history of offering guidance, training and ultimately an ideal home to some of the sport’s most celebrated stars. And while the club may no longer challenge for European titles like it once did, it still uncovers the stars of tomorrow as well as it ever has done. 

Perhaps the latest talent off this Dutch conveyor was none other than Ghana star Mohammed Kudus. Signed by Ajax in 2020, the pacy forward made a name for himself in the Eredivisie and was routinely being linked with moves to bigger clubs. For example, after strong links to Chelsea and Brighton earlier in the window, West Ham then went one step further and signed the forward in a deal worth a reported €41.5 million, alongside add ons that could take the deal to €44.5m. If so, it will make Kudus the second largest signing in West Ham's history. So who is this young star and how good could he really be?

What kind of player is Mohammed Kudus? 

Despite only being 23 years old, Kudus has already played in a number of positions for different clubs over the course of his career. For example, in his first full season with Danish side Nordsjaelland, the Ghana star made 15 appearances in the centre of the park, two on the right wing and then 10 as a centre forward. However, while that may show how versatile Kudus is across the pitch, it also points to recurring issues in his game. 

This remained the case following his move to Ajax in the summer of 2020. Since then Kudus has played over 85 games for the club but, like his time in Denmark, struggled to nail down a key role in the team for himself. Prior to his move to London, the Ghana talent played 56% of his games for Ajax either as a central midfielder or No.10, 21% on the right wing and 20% up front as a striker. 

What are Mohammed Kudus’s main strengths? 

Although Kudus may have struggled to nail down a specific role at Ajax, there’s little doubt that he had some clear gifts that made him a useful player on the pitch. This was perhaps most evident in the player’s record for Ajax last season, where Kudus bagged an impressive 18 goals in 42 games for the Amsterdam club. And it’s that eye for goal and direct style of play to get there which has certainly earned the young player plenty of fans. 

For example, while Kudus wasn’t Ajax’s top goalscorer in the Eredivisie last season, he did finish just two goals off top goalscorer Brian Brobbey. Which is all the more impressive when we consider that he didn’t always play in a forward position for the club. This, undoubtedly, is due to Kudus’ impressive dribbling skills. In last season’s league campaign, the Ghana forward completed more dribbles than any other player in the Dutch top-flight and finished sixteenth in the league for total shots. More than both Brobbey and fellow top goalscorer Steven Bergwijn. 

 

So how good is Mohammed Kudus? 

Netherlands Content Manager for Transfermarkt, Kevin Lux:

“He was the last big name left at Ajax, after the departure of Edson Álvarez, Dušan Tadic and Jurrien Timber. Last season was his breakthrough season, especially with good performances in the early stages of the Champions League (most notably against Rangers) and during certain matches for Ghana, but after that, he slowly dropped in form. He couldn't take a struggling Ajax side by the hand and guide them out of trouble.

“Personally, I never understood the hype around him. When he arrived at Ajax from Nordsjaelland in Denmark, he was injured for most of the time. When available, he first had to fight his way into the team and struggled doing just that. He played several positions, but never really stood out regularly. Still, big clubs like Everton wanted to pay top money for him, resulting in the hype, which I rarely saw back on the field. Last season, he got a bit better, but I think there is a reason he is still at Ajax, while others have left.”