Brutally honest Mohammed Kudus has shared his frustration with a big hint on his future but West Ham will love what he said next.
Mohammed Kudus was simply unplayable for much of his debut season at West Ham.
The Hammers’ star boy cemented his reputation as one of the standout attackers in Europe.
Kudus had already started making waves with Ajax before he joined West Ham.
The fact he took to the world’s toughest league like a duck to water only enhanced his reputation further.
Kudus’ excellent form sparked inevitable links with a big money move to the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City.
West Ham managed to hold on to the 24-year-old after a scintillating debut campaign in the Premier League.
PSR-hit West Ham expected to sell Kudus
If potential suitors were waiting to see if Kudus would suffer from the fabled second season syndrome, they will feel vindicated.
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Kudus has an £85m release clause in his contract which will be active again this summer.
Ahead of the winter transfer window just gone, the Hammers said they would only sell before then if someone came in with an offer of £100m plus.
Last season that would have made perfect sense because his form justified it.
This season, though, that figure has become almost laughable.
And it has come at the worst possible time for the Hammers.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Frustrated Kudus drops big hint on his Hammers future
With West Ham facing big PSR issues restricting spending after a £155m splurge last summer, it is widely expected and accepted Kudus will be sold to help fund Graham Potter’s rebuild.
West Ham plan to raise £100m in sales this summer.
After his first campaign in the claret and blue, Kudus may have come close to raising that figure on his own.
But Kudus’ form this term means West Ham will likely have to accept far less than his release clause.
Now the Hammers ace has opened up on his true feelings with some very interesting comments.
Frustrated Kudus has dropped a big hint on his future but West Ham will love what he said next.
The last two games have summed up the £38.5m signing’s season in many ways.
At Arsenal he looked back to his brilliant best, playing a starring role in a 1-0 win.
But in the very next game against lesser opposition in Leicester, Kudus was poor again and subbed off.
Kudus has now conceded he has not lived up to his, the club’s or the fans’ expectations this season.
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Kudus to leave but West Ham will love what he said next
He appears to suggest he will be off in the summer, making a point of saying he will continue to give his all ‘until the last game of the season’.
Kudus also makes clear to any potential suitors there is more to come from him.
He lays some of the blame for his form down to the team’s struggles under Julen Lopetegui – with whom he had a furious bust-up.
The good news for West Ham, though, is that even if he does leave, Kudus insists the club is in great hands with Potter at the helm.
“I’ve been below the standards I’ve set for myself,” Kudus told West Ham’s website with refreshing honesty.
“With the standards I’ve set and what I’ve shown, I think everyone also expects a lot from me, but I expect a lot from myself as well.
Potter the right man for Hammers says Kudus
“I’ll keep doing my thing and keep trying until the last game of the season. I know a lot of things haven’t gone well this season. It’s football, there are a lot of ups and downs, but you need to be yourself at all times.
“I’ve set very high expectations of myself, even more than what the fans and others think, and I know the input and impact I can have in a game. I wouldn’t say it’s been my best season, but as a team, we’re at a stage right now where we are building and growing.
“The most important thing for me is to keep going and keep believing in myself and doing my thing. There’s a lot more to come from me.”
Kudus insists West Ham are moving in a positive direction under Potter.
And he backs the new boss to be the right man for the club going forward.
“We’re enjoying getting to grips with the new methods and ideologies the Head Coach has implemented,” Kudus adds.
“These things can take time, even though you don’t get a lot of time in this league.
“The vision is clear, and you can see everyone aligns with how he (Potter) wants to play.”