As we continue to wait for the first African transfer of over €100 million, Ghana fans are about to celebrate Mohammed Kudus becoming a €45 million player.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is edging closer to West Ham United from AFC Ajax after reports emerged that both clubs have agreed a deal.
Per reports, the personal terms of the contract are still being sorted out between Kudus and West Ham but he is set to become a €45 million player in a matter of days.
That will make him Ghana’s second most expensive player of all time behind Arsenal’s Thomas Partey.
West Ham United are finalising details on a deal worth £38m for Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus 💰
Another Premier League club is thought to have come in late, but the player wants to go to West Ham ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/lSCtNcsMF6
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 24, 2023
Mohammed Kudus to West Ham: All the details
It took three bids from West Ham to convince AFC Ajax to part ways with the former Nordsjælland man, Mohammed Kudus. De Godenzonen see him as important to their goals and have shown it by giving him a starring role in the opening stages of their 2023/24 season.
They are now set to lose his attacking abilities at a crucial stage to West Ham in the Premier League, where the Ghana Black Star has dreamed of playing all his life.
Chelsea and Arsenal were in the running for Kudus but both London clubs were unable to convince Ajax.
Brighton and Hove Albion did, but Mohammed Kudus is not a Brighton player today because he was unable to reach an agreement with the Seagulls on the terms of his contract.
West Ham will now pay €45 million (€40 million transfer fee plus €5 million performance-related add-ons) to sign him. Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth corroborated this report with a post on his X account.
“West Ham United finalising details on Kudus deal. Hoping to get it done by the weekend,” Sheth posted. “Kudus currently with Ajax in Bulgaria for Europa League tie v Ludogorets.”
West Ham United finalising details on Kudus deal. Hoping to get it done by the weekend. Kudus currently with Ajax in Bulgaria for Europa League tie v Ludogorets. #WHUFC #Ajax https://t.co/byjyOOehOl
— Dharmesh Sheth (@skysports_sheth) August 24, 2023
Ghana fans are excited about the move for their young versatile attacking midfield talent with some believing that he has the potential to reach the heights of Africa’s most expensive players.
Nicolas Pepe remains Africa’s most expensive transfer when he switched LOSC Lille for Arsenal for a healthy sum of €80 million. That was followed by Victor Osimhen’s switch from Lille to Napoli for €70 million.
Partey, Ghana’s most expensive man, is in the top ten African transfers but he still pales in comparison to some on the list. You can see the full list here.
Mohammed Kudus breaks Ghana transfer record; shoots up to second place in first top ten entry
Many Black Stars have come and gone but Mohammed Kudus is poised to be the most famous of them all. His impending €45 million move from Ajax to West Ham is proof of it.
This also sees him break into the top 10 for the first time in his career after an initial break into the top 15 with his €9 million move from Nordsjælland to Ajax.
Asamoah Gyan is still the only player to feature twice in the top 10 for Ghana but Mohammed Kudus is well on his way to breaking that record.
Here are the top 10 most expensive Ghanaian players ever.
Player | Transfer from | Transfer to | Transfer fee |
Thomas Partey | Atlético de Madrid | Arsenal | €50 million |
Mohammed Kudus | AFC Ajax | West Ham United | €45 million |
Michael Essien | Olympique Lyonnais | Chelsea | €38 million |
Baba Rahman | Augsburg | Chelsea | €26 million |
Andre Ayew | Swansea | West Ham United | €24 million |
Kamaldeen Sulemana | Nordsjælland | Stade Rennais | €20 million |
Kwadwo Asamoah | Udinese | Juventus | €18 million |
Asamoah Gyan | Al Ain | Shanghai SIPG | €17 million |
Asamoah Gyan | Stade Rennais | Sunderland | €16 million |
Alfred Duncan | Sassuolo | Fiorentina | €15 million |
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago