After recent links with Premier League trio Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo and Tyler Dibling, Newcastle United have been tipped to make a move for another top flight right-winger.
A new report suggests the club are weighing up a sensational move for West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, but it’s a story that doesn’t make too much sense based on everything we’ve been told over the past few weeks.
According to The Mirror, Newcastle are keen to challenge Arsenal and Liverpool for the signing of Mohammed Kudus; the Ghanaian attacker who has impressed since arriving from Ajax last summer.
The outlet states: ‘Toon scouts have tracked 24-year-old Kudus’ progress since his teenage days with Danish side FC Nordsjaelland and were interested before his move to the London Stadium from Ajax in a £38m deal 16 months ago.’
The same piece goes on to say that West Ham have slapped a whopping £90m asking price on his head, making this a strange link to make given Newcastle’s ongoing struggles concerning compliance with financial rules. Newcastle feel Kudus ‘fits the bill’ as a quality right-winger with the versatility Howe loves – but his price tag does not.
Prior to our 4-0 win over Leicester City, Eddie Howe admitted that there’s a lack of available money to spend due to PSR, stating that sales will be needed to sanction a significant signing this winter.
On top of that, sporting director Paul Mitchell has previously hinted that Newcastle must move away from signing proven Premier League stars who come at a premium and instead focus on the foreign market for value-for-money deals.
This explains why Johan Bakayoko of PSV emerged as a January target via The Telegraph last week, who stated in the same report that £60m-rated duo Mbeumo and Semenyo look out of our reach for now.
Newcastle are desperate for a right-winger and Kudus would be a brilliant purchase in terms of adding quality, but concerns over Profit and Sustainability Rules will clearly take precedent.
Howe said this last week about the upcoming window: “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. 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. Players are very astute human beings. Players feel everything at a football club. They are the most perceptive people because they are on the front line. They are the ones delivering for us.
“So whatever is going on at a football, they’re the ones absorbing it. Naturally, PSR has had an effect on the club and we haven’t been able to strive and reach as quickly as we wanted to initially. That has been halted somewhat in various ways.”