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The West Ham forward has won plaudits for his Premier League exploits over the last season and a half.
Arsenal transfer target Mohammed Kudus was on target for West Ham at the weekend as Julen Lopetegui's side picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with Brighton at the London Stadium.
The Ghana international netted his third goal of a suspension-disrupted season, having missed five Hammers fixtures following a red card and FA ban as punishment for violent conduct in the London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. The winger has turned heads since his arrival in the Premier League in August 2023 and is supposedly a top target for several of the division's biggest outfits.
Kudus' goal against the Seagulls came in the 58th minute, just seven minutes after the visitors had taken the lead through Mats Wieffer. The ever-eager forward put in a gut-busting run forwards as Jarrod Bowen led a counter-attack, following the England international's shot in to power home a header.
The Gunners have been linked with a transfer for the player in recent months given the ease at which the winger would likely fit into Mikel Arteta's system. Talk of Saudi Arabian interest in Leandro Trossard has added weight to rumours of the North London club recruiting in that position and a fresh injury to Bukayo Saka points to a need for strength in depth should a title charge be on.
Fichajes also named Liverpool and Newcastle United as suitors for Kudus in a report last week with his future at West Ham in doubt. TalkSPORT have also added that Kudus, who has 11 goals and seven assists in 45 Premier League outings, has an £85 million release clause in his contract that becomes active at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. Any January move for the winger would therefore likely need a bid in excess of that £85 million fee.
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Kudus revels in ‘confidence boost’ goal vs Brighton
Speaking after hitting the back of the net against Brighton, Kudus hinted at a dip in confidence under new West Ham manager Lopetegui. He said: “I think we’re getting close to our best, step-by-step, and the team gave their best today. The boys showed good energy and resilience to come back after going down, and although we wanted the win, we’ll take the point and move forward.
“It feels good to have been able to contribute to the result. As an attacker, it’s always good to score, and it will really help my confidence. It would’ve been nice to have helped to get all three points, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Mohammed Kudus served a five-match suspension earlier this season.Mohammed Kudus served a five-match suspension earlier this season.
Mohammed Kudus served a five-match suspension earlier this season. | Getty Images
“We’re together as a group, and I think we’re getting there. We have a lot of quality, and I think there is a lot that we can achieve. It’s about completing the puzzle together, and hopefully we can do better again in the next game.”
Kudus had come under criticism from Lopetegui earlier this season after he saw red for improper conduct against Tottenham Hotspur. At the time, the former Wolves manager said: “Unfortunately Kudus is going to be out for three matches because his behaviour was not good and he knows that.
“He knows he has to improve because this can't happen. I hope it's the last time this happens. I'm sure it is not going to happen [again]. I talked with him and sometimes you don't have to talk a lot about this kind of situation because he knows it was a mistake. I say, for sure, that he will learn about this incident and his behaviour will handle this better in the future."
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