Newcastle United will reportedly face competition from Chelsea if they want to sign one of West Ham’s star players this summer.
Newcastle United have again been linked with a move for Mohammed Kudus - but they will face stiff competition for the winger if they firm up their interest with an offer. Kudus has spent two seasons at West Ham after a £40m move from Ajax in summer 2023.
Before his switch to the London Stadium, Kudus had been linked with a move to St James’ Park, but the Hammers swooped for his signature. At that time, Kudus had been viewed as a versatile option that could improve Eddie Howe’s forward line.
Instead, Newcastle opted to sign Harvey Barnes from Leicester City. The Magpies would pay the Foxes a similar amount that West Ham would give Ajax for the Ghanaian international.
Two years on, and Kudus has again been linked with a move to the north east, this time as Newcastle United look to replace the hole left by Miguel Almiron’s departure. Almiron rejoined Atlanta United during the winter transfer window and whilst Jacob Murphy’s superb form ensured they did not feel his absence too hard, another body is needed in that area of the pitch.
“We need support for Jacob, he's not going to be able to play every minute of every game, and we also need to push him,” Howe said previously when asked about that right-wing position. “We'll look at the academy and see if there's anyone there who deserves an opportunity - we'll look at all options.”
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Reports earlier this week mentioned Newcastle United as a potential destination for Kudus as West Ham look to drum up interest in the winger. The 24-year-old, like many of his teammates, endured a difficult campaign last year and may be allowed to leave the club in order to grant Graham Potter funds to improve his starting XI.
Chelsea ‘interested’ in Kudus transfer
According to various reports, Chelsea have shown interest in signing Kudus recently, as they continue their lavish spending on transfers. Fresh from sealing a £30m deal to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, the Blues have reportedly offered the Hammers a player-plus-cash deal for Kudus this summer - one that was swiftly rejected.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who moved to Stamford Bridge last summer to reunite with Enzo Maresca, and Robert Sanchez were reportedly set to be included in that deal, according to TalkSport. West Ham, though, are not interested in a player-swap deal.
Kudus reportedly has an £85m release clause in his contract that can be triggered by Premier League clubs this summer - although that is not expected to happen and the Hammers may have to settle for a lot less should they be successful in offloading the winger. During his time at the London Stadium, Kudus has scored 19 goals and assisted a further 10 - with all but one of those assists coming in the Premier League.
However, just five of those strikes came last season with Kudus named in the starting XI 31 times in the league under both Julen Lopetegui and then Potter.
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