The list of top performers leaving Ajax Amsterdam for the Premier League this summer has been extended by one more name: Mohammed Kudus (23) is moving to West Ham United.
The squad shake-up at Ajax Amsterdam continues unabated.The sporting director of the Dutch record champion has already sold three players for good money to England with Jurrien Timber (22, to Arsenal), Calvin Bassey (23, to Fulham) and Edson Alvarez (25, to West Ham).
Now Mohammed Kudus has been added to the list and will become Alvarez’s team-mate at West Ham. This is the third big summer transfer for the Hammers, who were also able to convince Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse of a move.
The 41 million euro base fee for the attacking player, to which three bonuses could be added according to “The Athletic”, does not exceed any other Amsterdam departure in this transfer period. Kudus has a five-year contract at West Ham until 30 June 2028, which could be extended by a further year via an option. Mislintat, however, is apparently already thinking one step further: according to concurring English media reports, the contract contains a resale clause amounting to ten per cent.
“I have dreamed of playing in a league like this since I was a kid,” Kudus is quoted as saying in an initial statement. “I have dreamed of this moment and I am so happy to be here. I’m trying my best to entertain the fans because that’s what football is all about.” He will be wearing shirt number 14 for West Ham in future.
However, the departure of Kudus hurts Ajax quite a bit from a sporting point of view. The 24-time Ghana international (seven goals) had made an excellent start to the new season: In addition to the two scorer points in the league (one goal, one assist), he scored three in the Europa League qualifiers in the recent 4:1 in Rasgrad. Kudus also posed with the match ball in front of the fans afterwards – and took a farewell photo for the Ajax supporters with it.
Kudus moved to the Eredivisie from FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2020. His final breakthrough came last season in 2022/23, when he played 30 league games and collected 15 scorer points (eleven goals, four assists). In the Champions League he made an impact with four goals and two assists in six appearances.
“As if Bayern and Dortmund would miss the Champions League “
Mislintat knows the difficulty of the task that awaits him at Ajax this season. With a team that is weaker, at least on paper, the club has to go higher again. “If Ajax only finish third in the Eredivisie, it’s like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund missing out on the Champions League,” “The absolute focus on this club and the public perception are more blatant than it was with BVB or Arsenal – and the public discussion more excited than in Stuttgart.”
Ajax have started the new season with one win and one draw, while three other teams have been unscathed. Mislintat is firmly convinced, however, that the traditional club from Amsterdam will once again play for the title this season.
