It almost goes without saying that Mohammed Kudus, should he swap West Ham United and the Premier League for Neom Sports Club and Saudi Arabia, would find himself pretty well remunerated in the process.
Two of the three highest-earning players in world football – Karim Benzema and, guess who, Cristiano Ronaldo – ply their trade in the Middle East.
Sadio Mane comes in at eighth.
Neymar would sit even higher on the list, meanwhile, if the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona superstar had not returned to Brazil with Santos after an injury-spoilt spell with Al-Hilal.
So while Mohammed Kudus would have to accept losing the lustre of Premier League football if he trades in West Ham United for Saudi Arabia during the remainder of the summer transfer window, the wages on offer have convinced plenty of other peak-era players to join the Pro League project.
Kudus could yet join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. But the emerging force that is Neom Sports Club have now appeared as another, potentially more likely, destination.
And the figures provided by Tuttomercatoweb go some way to explaining how the former Ajax forward could see his arm twisted and his bank balance inflated.
Mohammed Kudus during Manchester United FC v West Ham United FC in the Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
West Ham United ace Mohammed Kudus could earn £17m a year at Neom SC
It is no secret that Mohammed Kudus has a £125 million release clause in his contract for Saudi Arabian clubs. However, West Ham have shown a willingness to haggle, in the knowledge that a lower but still-considerable sum would give Graham Potter the funds he needs to belatedly enter the market.
Premier League-based suitors Arsenal have no chance of seeing a £50 million bid accepted. Daniel Levy’s Tottenham Hotspur had also planned to nab Kudus on the cheap.
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West Ham’s asking price remains stubbornly in the region of £65 million. A fee that appears to have made a move to another English club fairly unlikely.
The wages on offer in the Middle East, meanwhile, sit at another level entirely compared even to the most deep-pocketed English clubs.
Tuttomercatoweb report that Neom SC, the Pro League newcomers who are expected to fight Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and co for the biggest prizes and the most expensive players, are willing to offer Kudus a wage in the region of £12.8 to £17 million a year.
Kudus, then, could earn a staggering £320,000-a-week. His yearly wages alone could dwarf the figure West Ham paid for their 2025 Player of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer.
The right-back moved to the London Stadium from Manchester United for a bargain £15 million.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka during West Ham United FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
West Ham want Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey as Kudus considers his options
It has emerged in the last 24 hours that West Ham have identified Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey as a potential replacement for their mercurial Ghanaian.
And while Hammers News have been informed that there is a belief Tottenham Hotspur will win the race, bringing in around £65 million for Kudus would potentially give Potter the firepower he needs to outbid their London neighbours.
“We would not sell [Kudus] for under £65m,” a senior spokesman for the West Ham board exclusively told Hammers News this month.
“There is lots of interest.”
A move to Neom SC would see Kudus reunite with Said Benrahma. Leaving Lyon in a £12 million deal back in January, Benrahma has been a revelation in Saudi Arabia.
One player expected to return to Europe, however, is Jhon Duran.
Despite claims that West Ham wanted the former Aston Villa striker on a loan-to-buy deal this summer, it is claimed that Duran is set to join Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce instead with ‘immediate effect’.