Chelsea and West Ham both have the chance to freshen up their squads this summer
Chelsea turned to Enzo Maresca as their head coach last summer following Mauricio Pochettino's exit. Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge, the former Manchester City man caught the eye at Leicester City. He guided the Foxes to the Championship title during his time at the King Power Stadium before his exit to the capital.
Maresca has since done a steady job during his first year with the Blues. They are back in the Champions League after finishing in the top five last season and they also won the Europa Conference League. The London outfit are currently away at the Club World Cup and have made the final.
Chelsea eye Mohamed Kudus deal at West Ham
Chelsea have the chance to add more firepower to their ranks this summer. They also have the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door as well if needed over the next couple of months. That would help free up some space and funds in their squad to pave the way for reinforcements.
As per a report by Football Insider, they have been linked with a move for West Ham attacker Mohamed Kudus. The Ghana international, who has 42 caps to his name, is an option for the Blues at this moment in time. His long-term future at the London Stadium is up in the air.
Kudus, 24, would give Maresca something different going forward. If he joined, he would battle it out with the likes of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto for a place in the team. He would inject even more quality into their impressive attacking department.
The forward was snapped up by West Ham in 2023 and he has since become one of their most valuable assets. He started his career over in Denmark at FC Nordsjælland as a youngster. He broke into their first-team before he emerged on the radar of Ajax who later swooped in for him in 2020.
Kudus went on to play 87 games during his days in the Eredivisie and scored 27 goals. He helped his former team win the league title twice. The Hammers then came calling and he decided to move over to England to test himself in a new league and culture.
He hit the ground running straight away in the Premier League and found the net on 14 occasions during his first campaign, eight of which came in the league. However, he struggled to reach the same heights last term which has flung his situation in doubt. He only scored five goals altogether, hence why it wouldn’t be a surprise if he departed now to try something new.
Chelsea should offer West Ham swap deal
In an attempt to try and persuade West Ham into selling Kudus, Chelsea should offer them Noni Madueke as part of a swap deal. That would mean the Hammers would get something in return and wouldn't be left short changed. In addition, the winger would be ideal for Graham Potter's side and would benefit from a change of scene.
It has been a tough first few months for Potter since his appointment and the results haven't flowed just yet. He was picked as their replacement for Julen Lopetegui and hasn't managed to turn things around just yet. The former Brighton and Hove Albion man will be eager to put his own stamp on his newly inherited squad.
The 23-year-old would be be perfect for West Ham and would help ease the load off Jarrod Bowen. They are very reliant on Bowen for goals and could do with getting someone else through the door who is capable of making a similar impact.
Chelsea are under less pressure to sell Madueke now after making the Club World Cup final, which will boost their finances, so swapping him for Kudus would mean they would land one of their targets without having to splash the cash. Madueke isn't guaranteed a starting position under Maresca and mainly provides back-up to their other options in his position.
Therefore, an exit to a team in the same division like West Ham makes sense for him. It would give him a chance to play every week and show what he can do at the top level. In addition, it may boost his chances of getting more caps for England down the line.
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