West Ham United have made a breakthrough in their quest to sign versatile Ghanaian forward Mohammed Kudus from Ajax, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian transfer guru reports that the Hammers have struck a verbal agreement with the Eredivisie giants over a deal worth €45 million plus add-ons.
Kudus is expected to undergo a medical before signing a five-year deal with West Ham that will keep him at London Stadium until the summer of 2028.
West Ham technical director Tim Steiden has reportedly been pushing for the Ghanaian striker at the behest of David Moyes, who is eager to bolster his attacking options.
Kudus’ imminent transfer to East London will represent one of the most expensive deals in West Ham’s recent history.
However, Ajax could stand to pocket a substantial windfall if Kudus decides to move on from the Hammers in the future, with the Dutch giants inserting a sell-on clause in his transfer.
The acquisition of Kudus marks the second instance of transfer collaboration between Ajax and West Ham this summer, with the Hammers previously signing Edson Alvarez from their Dutch counterparts.
Despite kicking off their summer recruitment drive late in the window, Kudus becomes the fourth addition to Moyes’s side, and his arrival takes the club’s expenditure above the £120m mark.
The Hammers have made some shrewd acquisitions this summer, and they have already begun reaping the rewards, with James Ward-Prowse registering two assists in the 3-1 victory over Chelsea last weekend.
They will hope their shiny new acquisitions will help rectify last season’s aberration as they finished a massively underwhelming domestic campaign in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
West Ham could still add one or two new faces to the squad before the transfer window slams shut in a week, with Moyes retaining an interest in Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.
The Red Devils are keen to raise funds to further their recruitment drive and could be convinced into selling the Scotsman if West Ham formalises their interest in the player.
