The Premier League Was Kudus' Dream. Now He Must Live It
Summer of 2022 ended in frustration for Mohammed Kudus.
After a rough second season at Ajax Amsterdam that saw him struggle to regain his place in the starting XI on returning from a long spell out injured, and with prospects of playing time even less certain as Alfred Schreuder replaced Erik ten Hag as manager, Kudus wanted a way out — and he was ready to force that exit, to English outfit Everton, as the transfer window approached its conclusion.
That desire went unfulfilled.
Ajax had lost one player too many in that summer and were unwilling to lose another, especially one who had barely delivered on the promise and potential they’d paid €9 million to secure. Kudus, for reasons already mentioned, hadn’t quite settled since his move from Nordsjaelland, and it was hoped he’d do so on the third attempt.
And he did, shrugging off the disappointment of his failed push to have the season of his life. Kudus leapt off the periphery into a more prominent role, becoming the guy around whom the Godenzonen built their offense. That involved becoming malleable enough to be utilised farther forward than his usual midfield slot, but Kudus adapted to his new coach’s tactical demands and did so brilliantly.
Schreuder losing his position to Ajax great Johnny Heitinga mid-season did little to undermine Kudus' essence to the team’s attacking setup, even as the club’s hopes of silverware diminished to nothing for the first time in five years. He ended the campaign with eighteen goals and seven assists across all competitions — just one less than the sum of goals he’d previously made a direct contribution to since his 2018 arrival in Europe.
It was rather inevitable that talk of Kudus' future would be a subject worthy of attention after such a great season, and even though there were whispers of a possible contract extension, it quickly became apparent that Kudus had his heart set on life away from the Johan Cruyff Arena — the Premier League, specifically, a dream he hadn’t given up on.
He didn’t lack suitors, that’s for sure. Chelsea — linked with almost every player these days, and seemingly not short on the sort of money needed to pull off almost any deal — looked his way with significant interest, as did Arsenal. Brighton & Hove Albion actually went as far as to agree a €40 million deal with Ajax, but an inability to negotiate favourable personal terms with the player himself ended the pursuit.
Kudus is off the market now, though, after credible sources confirmed on Friday that he is on the verge of joining West Ham United, for a fee just north of what Brighton were ready to part with for his signature. The transfer is expected to be completed this weekend, only a couple of days after Kudus delivered the parting gift of a hat-trick to Ajax in their Europa League play-off game away to Ludogorets.
Even before he kicks a ball for the Hammers, it already feels like an upgrade on what Goodison Park could have offered last year and beyond. At West Ham, Kudus likely wouldn’t have to lead the firefighting brigade as he might have with an Everton side that only narrowly escaped relegation two seasons running and have started the current campaign in a manner that suggests their ambitions wouldn’t be any loftier.
West Ham themselves didn’t have an easy 2022/23 Premier League season, securing survival with little comfort. But they did win the Europa Conference League, the club’s first major silverware in over four decades, to give David Moyes' team considerable sheen. That success means they compete in the Europa League this season (only Arsenal, of the other clubs that coveted Kudus, will feature in a more prestigious continental competition), while looking to finish higher on the Premier League table.
To succeed on both fronts — and there are also domestic cups to contend for, now West Ham’s trophy-winning appetite has been aroused — would require a bigger squad, and that’s possibly why Moyes is bringing in the likes of Kudus to boost the depth of personnel available to him.
An unanticipated benefit of staying at Ajax a season longer than he'd have wished was that, as implied earlier, Kudus' versatility got honed. By one estimate, the range of positions he was deployed in throughout his time in Amsterdam numbered as many as seven — from deep in midfield all the way to the tip of attack. That would leave Moyes with no shortage of ways in which to put Kudus' varied skill-set to use.
Moyes’ side is characterised mainly by grit and graft, yes, but there is always room for a player with Kudus’ technical qualities. The 23-year-old would have to carve out that room for himself, though, as it would likely involve displacing one of three firm Moyes favourites who occupy those advanced positions in which Kudus thrived for Ajax: Jarrod Bowen (right wing), Michail Antonio (centre-forward) or Lucas Paqueta (attacking midfield).
Doing that, never mind justifying his rank as West Ham’s second-priciest signing ever, will take a lot of work — especially with respect to the off-the-ball shift that Moyes places so high a premium on, but which isn’t Kudus' greatest suit —yet no less would be expected. He did, after all, pine for the Premier League.
He must, now, show why.
Writer: Enn Y. Frimpong
