Liverpool have stepped up their efforts to bring the West Ham striker, Mohammed Kudus, to Anfield. The club has already made their first contact with the Hammers, and it’s expected that Liverpool bosses are willing to pay the release clause for the Ghanaian striker.
If such legal wranglings went through, it could cost Liverpool £85 million to sign Kudus, and start the rebuild of the team that will be looking to start afresh following summer’s departure of manager, Jurgen Klopp.
What makes this move all the more likely is that the next likely manager of Liverpool – Arne Slot – is a huge fan of Kudus and his signing would be a real statement of intent for the incoming boss. While Slot has yet to be formally appointed, the majority of bookmakers at resources such as betting.co.uk have dramatically shortened their odds for the manager Feyenoord to come to Anfield.
Kudus’ second shot at Merseyside glory
At just the age of 23, Mohammad Kudus has got plenty of time to learn to cope with the rigours of Premier League football. Interestingly, Kudus came close to coming to Merseyside a couple of years ago, but his proposed move to Everton fell through due to the indirect transfer meddlings of Manchester United and Ajax. This was because Ajax ruled out Kudus’ move due to the Dutch team selling Antony to Manchester United at the same time.
Kudus used that extra time at Ajax to sharpen his striking skills where he forged 17 goals in 65 appearances for the Dutch club. Such skill didn’t go unnoticed in the Premier League and the Ghanaian was eventually signed by West Ham for a fee of £38 million in August 2023.
In his single season at West Ham, Kudus has impressed many with his dazzling speed and goalscoring ability. While he has only managed to hit the back of the net for the Hammers seven times in his 32 appearances, he has been one of the few bright sparks in an insipid second-half of the season for West Ham.
Why Kudus’ move to Anfield makes perfect sense
Liverpool’s season has been dominated by the exit of Jurgen Klopp, but even that fact cannot completely overshadow the suspicions that the team are lacking in quality. Compared to the Premier League-winning side of a couple of years ago, the current squad are still having issues gelling.
Ultimately, it’s the forward line that is failing to provide the goals required to claim the title. While Mo Salah can always be counted on, there remains big question marks about Darwin Nunez’ goal-scoring prowess. Rumours are that the Uruguayan striker is set to leave Anfield this summer, and while Nunez has become a fan favourite, there is little denying his inconsistency in front of goal.
While Luis Diaz has had an encouraging season at Anfield, there is ongoing speculation that the striker could end up moving to Paris Saint Germain in a bid to replace the outgoing Kylian Mbappe. Although Diogo Jota has a proven goalscoring ability, the Portuguese striker has been belittled by numerous injuries that have cost Liverpool dearly in terms of striking prowess.
Ultimately, the current forward line pales in comparison to the likes of Salah, Sane and Firmino of recent times, and it looks like a full rebuild could be on the cards. It’s debatable as to whether Salah is going to stick around following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, and with a new manager incoming, Mohammad Kudus could be the forward required to reignite the goalscoring frenzy at Anfield next season.
