I hasten to add, they are not my words.. however, If the Hammers are successful in securing a sale at £85 million for [Mohammed Kudus](https://www.claretandhugh.info/kudus-and-the-85-million-january-sale/) and then hiring a replacement for less than half then that’d be a pretty decent piece ( I don’t know about ‘sneaky’) of business: Especially as Kudus this season has been a shadow of his former self.
According to the [onefootball.com](https://onefootball.com/de/news/west-ham-interested-in-a-sneaky-mohammed-kudus-replacement-40906278) report, the _“Georgian breakout star at Euro 2024 is a quality footballer who has proven himself in France at multiple levels. He can score goals while taking players on and being creative.”._
Georges Mikautadze has been linked and looked at by West Ham, and one football see him as an all round front man who could provide more goals than Kudus this year:
_“Mikautadze would be a cheaper version of Kudus with more of a goal threat, and that’s exactly what West Ham are looking for as far as a player who can upgrade what they currently have in attack with Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville, and Bowen.”_
Especially in a side which looks increasingly likely to be without Lucas Paquetá, who is now considered likely to escape the dreaded FA ban but has been reported as wanting a fresh start – and who can blame him if he disappears back top Brazil, frankly.
In a post- Paquetá and Kudus West Ham, creativity will be in very short supply, and I’m not sure that Georges Mikautadze alone would provide the answers. Still West Ham would need to splash the Kudus cash on a couple of fast-paced creative young midfielders, as has been trailed often these last few weeks.