West Ham United of the English Premier League has confirmed the acquisition of Ajax offensive midfielder and Ghana international Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus has signed a five-year agreement with the Hammers for a reported cost of £38 million plus add-ons.
He becomes David Moyes’ fourth acquisition of the summer transfer window, as the Hammers manager attempts to compensate for the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
During Erik ten Hag’s tenure with the club, the 23-year-old scored 18 goals and won two Eredivisie titles.
Kudus will be joining Konstantinos Mavropanos, James Ward-Prowse, and Edson Alvarez at the London Stadium this summer.
In an interview, he told the club’s official website: “I’ve been dreaming to play in a league like this since I was a kid. 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,” he added.
Commenting about his new man, Moyes said: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Mohammed to West Ham United.
“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,” he added.
Kudus made his international debut in 2019 and has 24 caps, scoring seven goals so far for his country.
He started his career with the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, before switching to Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2018 ahead of his 2020 move to Ajax.
He won the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Eredivisie titles under now Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, scoring 18 goals in 42 appearances.
The Ghanaian scored a hat-trick in the first leg of last Thursday’s Europa League play-off against Bulgarian side Ludogorets in what has turned out to be his final game for the Dutch champions.
