West Ham United appear to have just dropped a significant clue about Mohammed Kudus’ future amid intense transfer speculation involving both rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
The Ghanaian star has been spotted at the club’s Rush Green training ground as Spurs ponder a fourth bid while Chelsea are tipped to make an official offer.
Tottenham are pushing hard to try and sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham – much to the disgust of many Hammers fans.
Despite traditionally being the club’s biggest rivals after Millwall and Tottenham, Chelsea are very much seen as the lesser of two evils when it comes to the prospect of reluctantly selling a top player like Kudus.
The Hammers have allowed themselves to get into a real state in terms of finances, leaving little wiggle room for signings due to PSR.
West Ham face enforced Kudus sale to Spurs or Chelsea
As a result, West Ham’s owners are being pilloried by fans as they face seeing another top player join a rival with Spurs and Chelsea the only Premier League sides looking seriously at Kudus at the time of writing.
Tottenham have made not one, not two but THREE bids to West Ham for Kudus in the last week.
The Hammers board were left dumbstruck by the terms of Spurs’ latest £62.5m Kudus offer, according to sources close to the situation.
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Mainly because £10m of the additional £12.5m in the third bid was tied to Spurs winning the Premier League and Champions League.
A close confidant of Hammers chief David Sullivan claimed ‘Levy is up to his old tricks by playing the Kudus deal out in the press’.
Mohammed Kudus during West Ham United FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC in the Premier League
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
That threatens to backfire on Levy and Tottenham with Hammers News reporting on Chelsea’s master plan to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal and sign Kudus.
In a somewhat surprising move, Madueke is closing on a move to the Gunners.
Enzo Maresca even publicly admitted Chelsea like Kudus for the first time at the weekend.
Now West Ham have dropped a major Kudus hint as the star is pictured at Rush Green amid the Spurs and Chelsea talks.
The Hammers held two rounds of discussions with Chelsea about Kudus in June.
The Blues were keen to include players in the deal as makeweights whereas Sullivan and co want straight cash.
West Ham drop major Kudus hint amid Spurs and Chelsea talks
Talks with Spurs have been well publicised over recent days.
And Kudus enraged West Ham fans after it was claimed he only wants Tottenham over any other clubs, including Chelsea.
There had been an idle threat from West Ham that they would keep Kudus if they did not get the minimum £60m they’d put on his head.
But West Ham’s media activity appears to suggest Kudus is edging closer to a Hammers exit with Tottenham and Chelsea vying for his signature.
The Irons reported back for pre-season training on Monday morning.
Mohammed Kudus looks focused as he warms up ahead of playing for West Ham
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
The Hammers published a gallery of pictures titled ‘West Ham United men’s team reunited as pre-season begins’.
That gallery, image number 14 of 14, shows Kudus arriving at the club’s Rush Green training complex.
Later in the day West Ham published another picture gallery, this time showing the players training out on the pitches.
Crucially, Kudus was among the only first team players not joining in with his teammates.
The most obvious reason would be West Ham are protecting their £60m plus asset from injury as the club is desperate for the funds.
That would mean the Hammers feel a move to Spurs or Chelsea is close enough not to take any risks.
Hammers guard against injury as Kudus returns to Rush Green but doesn’t train?
Some international players get extended breaks and softer returns if they’ve been in action for their countries post season.
But Kudus was rested from the Ghana squad for their games against Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago at the end of May.
So, like Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lucas Paqueta and the others pictured, Kudus should have been training.
That will excite Tottenham and Chelsea fans ahead of what now looks a nailed on move to either north or west London.
There’s a chance Kudus might be carrying an injury of course – although that seems unlikely after a summer of rest.
It was clear Kudus was going to be leaving.
But now what seemed a highly unlikely move to Spurs suddenly seems a real possibility.