The proposed transfer of Mohammed Kudus to Chelsea during the summer, for a fee of £38 million, fell through primarily due to what the player’s agent described as a “lowball” offer made to Ajax. Chelsea had indeed reached an agreement on personal terms with Kudus before the eventual transfer to West Ham.
Chelsea, known for their significant summer transfer spending, made various high-value signings, including Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, and Cole Palmer.
Kudus had attracted interest from Manchester United, with whom he had previously worked under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and Arsenal. However, Chelsea took the lead in pursuing a concrete deal and initiated negotiations with the player’s representatives.
Brighton, who initially agreed on a fee with Ajax for Kudus amounting to £34.5 million, could not finalize the transfer, as West Ham eventually reached an agreement with Ajax after several failed bids.
Kudus’ agent, Jen Mendelewitsch, disclosed on RMC’s radio station that Chelsea had indeed agreed on terms with Kudus. However, the issue arose when it came to negotiating a transfer fee with Ajax. She stated that Chelsea made a “lowball” offer to Ajax, estimated to be around €20 million (£17.5 million). Furthermore, she suggested that Chelsea’s long-standing pursuit of signing Caicedo, which they eventually did for £115 million, consumed a significant amount of their resources.
Kudus joined Ajax from Danish club Nordsjaelland in 2020, shortly before turning 20. It wasn’t until the last season that he became a regular with the Amsterdam club and made a significant impact. During his breakout season, he scored 18 goals in various competitions, including four in the Champions League, and also impressed while representing Ghana at the World Cup in Qatar.
Since his move to West Ham, the versatile 23-year-old has scored two goals in eight appearances across all competitions. However, he has yet to make a Premier League start.
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