Their new Kudus: West Ham open first talks to sign "intelligent" £30m star
da cassino： It’s a big season for West Ham United ahead, as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 14th-place finish last time out in the Premier League.
da supremo： Before last campaign’s drop-off, the Hammers had managed to secure a satisfactory ninth spot under David Moyes, with a Europa League journey that ended at the quarter-final stages also impressing the London Stadium faithful.
Now, it’s up to Graham Potter to turn around his side’s unconvincing form, with the free transfer pick-up of Kyle Walker-Peters already catching the eye as he goes about improving his team all across the pitch.
Of course, away from chasing after new defenders, a fresh attacker to replace the void left behind by Mohammed Kudus is also a must to try and soften the £55m playmaker’s exit.
West Ham make contact over £30m deal
Replacing Kudus will be easier said than done, however, with the now Tottenham Hotspur attacker picking up a blistering 25 goal contributions in East London overall.
Yet, the Hammers will have targets in mind who they believe can come in and make Kudus’ departure an instant thing of the past, with James McAtee one exciting face they potentially have in mind to rebuild, as the Telegraph reports that the Manchester City reserve forward is available for around the £35m region.
Moving away from just McAtee, though, and West Ham could opt to go down a more unconventional route when seeking out immediate replacements.
Journalist Alan Nixon has revealed – via his Patreon – that contact has been initiated between Georgiy Sudakov at Shakhtar Donetsk and Potter’s men over a deal taking place.
Nixon states that West Ham view the Ukrainian attacking midfielder as a viable body that can come in and fill the gaping hole left behind by Kudus’ departure, with Sudakov costing just a little less than McAtee at the £30m mark.
The sale of the 24-year-old to North London would allow for this bumper deal to go ahead, as the 22-year-old Donetsk gem attempts to take the English game by storm on his arrival, much like Kudus managed when leaving Ajax behind in 2023.
How Sudakov can be Kudus 2.0
Kudus’ entry into the Premier League two years ago was met with some intrigue, with the two-time Eredivisie winner rising the ranks at the Netherlands giants to become a well-known explosive asset in attack, after joining from Danish side FC Nordsjælland.
In total, the 5-foot-9 menace would fire home 27 strikes across 87 Ajax outings, with his career tally bumped by another 20 goals when strutting his stuff in style wearing West Ham claret and blue.
Kudus would have to exercise patience waiting for his moment to shine in the English game – having been touted for a move to top-flight behemoth Manchester United before sealing a move to the Irons – with Sudakov wanting to now take this opportunity with both hands himself if a switch was sealed, having showed off his class for Donetsk over many a season now.
Indeed, Sudakov’s sublime solo strike in the Champions League versus Young Boys, which can be seen above, was just one of 15 strikes the 22-year-old managed to register for Arda Turan’s men last season, meaning he might well be ready to embark on that monumental leap to the Premier League now.
Sudakov’s numbers for Donetsk by season
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
24/25
39
15
6
23/24
34
10
6
22/23
41
5
11
21/22
12
4
1
20/21
14
1
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
After all – much like Kudus must have felt when he was still situated at Ajax – Sudakov will be desperate for a fresh and daunting challenge, having now potentially hit his ceiling in his native Ukraine after slowly but surely improving year after year at the Premier Liga outfit to be where he is today.
Capable of also slotting in down the wing if needed, like his Ghananian counterpart, this might well be a golden signing West Ham boast about down the line, with the potential for the “intelligent” midfielder – as he’s been hailed by football analyst Ben Mattinson – to also be transformed into a £55m superstar at the London Stadium.
For West Ham’s sake, however, let’s hope Sudakov feels content enough to stick it out with Potter and Co. for the long term, even if he does explode into life, over being seen as a one-time top performer who defected over to enemy lines.
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The Hammers have had a first-hand look at his quality.