West Ham have “slapped a £90m asking price” on Mohammed Kudus ahead of the January transfer window, according to The Mirror.
The Ghanaian international has an £85m release clause which can be activated at the end of the season but the Hammers can demand what they like for the player next month.
Kudus is being pursued by several Premier League teams so the Hammers may have to brace themselves for one or more bids.
Most Read on Hammers Headlines
The Mirror report that Newcastle have joined both Arsenal and Liverpool in weighing up a potential offer.
West Ham are keen to keep hold of Kudus
The sky-high valuation is clearly designed to scare off potential suitors. Clubs will be aware of the release clause but they may still chance their arm with lowball proposals in the New Year, hoping that the Irons would be willing to let him leave for less.
However, Kudus is one of Julen Lopetegui’s key players, having started all 10 of the league matches he has been available for this season ahead of the fixture against Bournemouth on Monday evening.
It’s unlikely that Newcastle will have the funds
While it is believed that the Magpies are long-term admirers of Kudus, who they first watched when he was coming through the youth ranks at FC Nordsjaelland, they are not in a position to spend big in January.
Even if they were able to offload players such as Miguel Almiron, Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier to raise funds, it may still not be enough to match West Ham’s price tag.
The situation is slightly different with Arsenal and Liverpool but there is a good chance that both teams will decide to wait until next summer when the buyout clause becomes active.
Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here