English Premier League side West Ham United have announced the signing of Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus from Dutch side Ajax.
The Hammers fought off intense competition from some of Europe’s leading clubs to secure the services of the exciting Ghana international attacker from Ajax.
The 23-year-old joins the Irons on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, becoming the Club’s third major summer signing following his former Ajax teammate and Mexico international Edson Álvarez and England midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
A strong all-round player and prolific dribbler capable of making and scoring goals, Kudus has established himself as one of European football’s most sought after young players. Now, he has brought his talents to London Stadium.
”I try my best to entertain the fans as I think that’s what football is all about,”
“I’ve been dreaming to play in a league like this since I was a kid,” said Kudus, who will wear the No14 shirt at West Ham.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment and I’m so happy to be here. But it doesn’t stop here, I want to keep going.
“I try my best to entertain the fans as I think that’s what football is all about. I’m just here to do my best and help the team. I’m really happy to be here. I will fight for the badge. I can’t wait to get started.”
West Ham Manager David Moyes is looking forward to working with Kudus, who scored four goals in six UEFA Champions League group-stage appearances for Ajax last season.
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Mohammed to West Ham United,” said the manager. “He’s a terrific young talent, who has already shone at the very highest level for Ajax in the Champions League and made well over 150 senior appearances at the age of 23 – so it was no surprise to see so many top clubs chasing his signature this summer.
“The fact we’ve been able to attract a player of his undoubted quality to London Stadium shows the pull West Ham have now – the Board and Tim deserve huge credit for getting this one over the line.”
Born in the suburb of Nima in Ghana’s capital city Accra in August 2000, Kudus joined the famous Right to Dream football academy at the age of ten. He spent seven years there before joining Danish club Nordsjælland at 17 in January 2018. The 5’9 player established himself as a regular at Nordsjælland. Playing as a striker or in a midfield role, he scored 14 goals in his 57 appearances across three seasons.
Kudus’ performances for Nordsjælland attracted the attention of Ajax, with then-head coach Erik ten Hag praising his ‘incredible potential’ following the then-19-year-old’s switch to Amsterdam in July 2020. That praise proved well-founded as the youngster scored one goal and assisted three more in his opening three appearances for the club.
The 2022/23 season saw Kudus take his game to a new level, with goals against Liverpool, Napoli and Rangers in the Champions League, eleven more in the Dutch Eredivisie and one each in the UEFA Europa League, Dutch Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield, taking his total to 19 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, given those numbers, Kudus also started all three group games for Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar, where he netted twice in a 3-2 victory over South Korea. All in, he has seven goals and three assists in 24 caps for his country.
