One of the biggest question marks over West Ham’s summer transfer activity is whether Mohammed Kudus will be allowed to leave London Stadium.
The Ghanaian seriously underwhelmed in his second season at the club, registering just five goals and four assists in 35 first-team appearances.
Reports of the 24-year-old seeking a move away from east London have been persistent for months now, amid reports of interest from clubs across Europe and in Saudi Arabia.
As a result, Graham Potter and his recruitment team will have been scouring the market for Kudus replacements should the former Ajax man secure the exit many are expecting him to make before the end of this summer.
West Ham hold talks with Marcus Tavernier
Marcus Tavernier scores against Arsenal
One winger West Ham have reportedly held talks with is Bournemouth winger Marcus Tavernier.
The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Cherries over the past three seasons, registering 12 goals and 14 assists in 90 appearances since signing from Middlesbrough in 2022, with 25 of those 26 goal involvements coming in the Premier League.
According to West Ham Zone, the Hammers have opened talks with Tavernier over a possible switch to the capital but do face competition from elsewhere.
It’s believed Newcastle are also keeping tabs on the player, while it’s believed there is also interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.
West Ham’s Kudus replacement could be shrewd business
It’s believed Mohammed Kudus has a tiered release clause in his contract that means he can go for £85m to clubs in Europe or for £125m if a Saudi Arabian outfit wants his signature.
It’s not guaranteed West Ham will hold out for either of those fees, though. They may opt to agree a reduced fee in order to speed up a deal, especially given it’s believed Kudus wants to leave the club.
Given the Ghana international’s age, ability and contract length – he still has three years on his current West Ham deal – it would be surprising if he were to leave for anything less than the £38m they paid Ajax for him in 2023.
A transfer fee of around £50m is arguably a more realistic figure to expect at this stage, which would prove to be a very useful addition to Potter’s transfer kitty given current PSR restrictions.
It’s not yet clear how much Bournemouth would demand in exchange for Tavernier’s services but it’s unlikely they would demand anywhere near the kind of funds Kudus’ services would demand.
That points to a potentially shrewd piece of business on the horizon, if West Ham can sign a worthy Kudus replacement for far less than they sold him for.
That would then free up further funds to strengthen other areas in the squad that are in desperate need of attention.