West Ham have made their stance unequivocally clear to Arsenal after a new claim about what Mikel Arteta is planning to do regarding Mohammed Kudus.
The identity of two of the three Premier League clubs interested in West Ham star Mohammed Kudus has now been revealed.
The Hammers know they have to sell Kudus to raise funds for Graham Potter’s rebuild.
Chelsea are mulling over whether they want to sign Kudus after talks with West Ham.
Now Arsenal have been named as one of the other two circling.
West Ham have confirmed three Premier League rivals have registered interest in Kudus.
Arsenal named as one of three clubs eyeing Kudus
The Hammers also stated they ‘can’t name them’.
But as Chelsea deliberate over a deal, Arsenal have performed something of a U-turn by throwing their hat in the ring for the Ghanaian.
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West Ham actually beat both Arsenal and Chelsea to the £38.5m signing of Kudus two years ago.
The main reason being both clubs were all spent out at the time.
The Gunners had just paid the Hammers £105m for Declan Rice which ironically enabled the club to go out and sign Kudus from Ajax.
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
U-turn as Arsenal change mind on West Ham star Kudus
It was always the plan for the player to be moved on at a profit after a season or two.
West Ham’s problem is that Kudus’ dip in form last season has meant nobody is going to come close to paying his £85m release clause.
That clause is something of a red herring as it was put in at the player’s request to prevent the Hammers blocking a move down the line.
Given West Ham’s desperate need for funds to pay for signings, West Ham can and will accept a lower amount.
Arsenal were being linked with Kudus last summer and interest persisted this season until the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta.
Back in April, Arsenal moved on from Kudus and turned attentions to Nico Williams.
West Ham will laugh in Arteta’s face at rumoured Kudus bid
Now a deal for Williams looks unlikely, the Gunners reportedly have Kudus back in their sights.
But West Ham have made it clear they will laugh in Mikel Arteta’s face amid a new Arsenal Kudus claim.
Football Transfers claims its sources have confirmed Arsenal have held talks with West Ham over a potential summer transfer for Kudus.
The report claims sources with knowledge of Arsenal’s interest in the attacker have revealed Arteta and Berta value Kudus at between £46-50m.
That would represent a paltry £7.5-11.5m profit if West Ham were to sanction it.
Hammers News put the claim to the top spokesman for West Ham’s board last night.
While the club’s owners refused to confirm talks with Arsenal, the response makes it clear what they would do if such an offer arrived on their desk.
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
‘Everyone saw the real Kudus again’
“There is interest from multiple clubs, things should become clearer in the next week or two,” the top spokesman for West Ham’s board exclusively told Hammers News.
“We have to sell before we can buy.
“But an offer of £50m for Kudus, we would laugh out of the room.
“Everyone saw the real Kudus again in the final few months of the season.”
It doesn’t get much clearer than that.
Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol claims West Ham made it clear to Chelsea they want around double what they paid for Kudus – which is the £65-70m mark.
The Blues are mulling a deal at that price, so the Hammers certainly aren’t going to suddenly settle for £15-20m less to sell the attacker to Arsenal.
It is somewhat ironic that Arsenal would have the temerity to make such a lowball offer to West Ham for Kudus.
Because Arsenal – and particularly their fans – have been goading West Ham over their capture of Rice for the last two years.
Gunners supporters nickname the former Hammers skipper ‘half price Rice’ – a nod to the belief they essentially had one over on West Ham over his fee.
Yet now it is claimed Arsenal want to insult West Ham with what is a derisory offer.
One that will clearly get short shrift from majority owner David Sullivan, his fellow Hammers money man Daniel Kretinsky and the rest of the West Ham board should it have any legitimacy.