West Ham receive blow in pursuit of £40m Ajax star; Chelsea consider hijack of top Moyes target

West Ham United have received a fresh blow in their pursuit of highly-rated Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus, according to reports. 

David Moyes has had the Ghana international on his radar for some time as he looks to bolster his attacking options before the transfer window closes.

Kudus enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 season with Ajax, scoring 18 goals and making seven assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

It’s thought the 23-year-old would be open to a move to the Premier League, too. He has been close to joining Everton and Brighton in the past, and Chelsea have also registered an interest in him.

West Ham are leading the race for Kudus’ signature, though. Previous reports have suggested he has reached an agreement on personal terms with the Hammers.

The only thing left for the London club to agree is a transfer fee with Ajax. That is proving to be much more difficult than expected, however.

Kudus would certainly be a valuable addition to the West Ham squad, but it now seems that they may be forced to look elsewhere for reinforcements.

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West Ham see improved Kudus offer rejected

According to reputed transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have just seen an offer rejected for Kudus.

After seeing an opening bid rejected, the Hammers submitted an improved offer of €42m (approx. £35.8m), which hasn’t tempted Ajax into a sale.

On Twitter, Romano wrote: “Understand West Ham have submitted a new formal bid for Mohammed Kudus in last 24h — worth €42m package.

“Ajax have rejected the proposal out of hand. No intention to accept at those conditions. West Ham will now decide if they want to leave the table as there’s no agreement.”

It has been suggested that Ajax would only consider an offer in the region of £40m for Kudus this summer. It therefore seems that West Ham are around £4m short with their latest offer for the attacker.

It now remains to be seen whether the Hammers will make another improved offer for the Ghanaian. If they don’t, it’s possible another club could swoop in for his signature.

As mentioned, Chelsea have also been linked with Kudus in the past. Mauricio Pochettino reportedly sees the Ajax star as an alternative to Michael Olise, who signed a new contract with Crystal Palace instead of joining Chelsea this summer.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Blues launch their own bid for Kudus in the next few days.

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