Newcastle United would need to pay around £90m to secure the services of Mohammed Kudus
Newcastle United would need to pay around £90m to secure the services of Mohammed Kudus
Newcastle United are preparing to challenge Liverpool and Arsenal in order to sign West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus, according to reports.
The Premier League leaders and last season's runners-up have monitored Kudus for a while now. However, the Magpies have also had a long-standing interest in the attacking midfielder, scouting him when he was at FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark.
Kudus is said to have a release clause of around £85m, but his club are looking for a fee in excess of £90m. This would smash Newcastle's record transfer fee - Alexander Isak £63m transfer from Real Sociedad currently holding the record. Since joining the London club from Ajax in August 2023, the Ghanaian has scored 16 times in 57 appearances. Despite only picking up one point in two games, he scored in both fixtures against Newcastle last season.
Kudus has not had as much of an impact on West Ham this season as they have struggled to adapt to life after David Moyes, with manager Julen Lopetugui's job under threat. He has scored just twice in 12 outings this term - missing five games due to picking up a red card against Tottenham Hotspur in October.
While the 28-year-old would bring much-needed freshness into a position that Eddie Howe has been looking to add to for some time, there is a catch. Newcastle have been one of the many clubs that have had been restricted due to the profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
If a potential move to St James' Park is on the cards, then some departures may have to take place before a bid is placed. Miguel Almiron could well be one of those players, with the Paraguayan receiving very little game time this season.
Howe has been very consistent in his message ahead of the January transfer window. If his side are going to be active in the market, they will need let some players leave St James' Park.
"I keep saying the same thing about January, I wouldn't expect us to be in a position to be too active in the market," Howe said. "As we currently stand up, things can change. You know, if we trade players, of course that's different, but if we don't trade players, I would expect us to be quiet."
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