Chelsea look set to be ramping up their efforts to lure more talent to Stamford Bridge as Mauricio Pochettino aims to build a team which can challenge for domestic honours during 2023/24.
Having already signed Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku, a move for Ajax starlet Mohammed Kudus could be next on the cards for the Argentinian as he continues his summer overhaul at the Blues.
How much could Mohammed Kudus cost?
According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea have ‘held talks’ with Kudus over a potential move to the Premier League this summer, although Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion may potentially provide stiff competition with regard to securing his signature.
He rejected a contract offer from the Dutch side back in April, expressing his desire to leave the club during the transfer window.
The Ghanaian attacking midfielder has been valued at around £40m, which is a fee that Chelsea could certainly afford, especially since they have raised £219m from player sales already this summer.
What could Mohammed Kudus offer Chelsea?
One of the more highly publicised departures from Stamford Bridge during the transfer window was that of Kai Havertz, with the German international moving to Arsenal for £65m following three seasons at Chelsea.
Although showing glimpses of his talent which convinced the Blues to splash out £71m for him in 2020, including scoring the winner during the 2021 Champions League final, he couldn’t quite live up to expectations in England.
Registering 47 goal contributions – 32 goals and 15 assists – does sound like a decent figure across 139 games, yet he failed to score more than ten league goals in a single campaign during his three seasons at the club, something which he did during his final two years at Bayer Leverkusen.
Kudus could be an excellent heir for the 24-year-old, not only due to his ability to operate in an attacking midfield role, but also because of his positional versatility, being able to play as a centre-forward or on the right wing.
Both players pose a danger in the final third, although Kudus did score more often last term than Havertz (18 to nine), while also grabbing more assists (seven to one) and these aren’t the only attacking metrics in which he held an advantage over the former Chelsea star.
Indeed, the Ajax starlet also registered more shots per 90 (3.09 to 2.61), more shot-creating actions per 90 (3.04 to 2.48) and succeeded with a higher percentage of successful take-ons (59.8% to 34.9%), not only indicating that he was a greater threat in front of goal but that he had more confidence when coming up against opposition defenders.
Former Ajax striker and Dutch legend Marco van Basten praised Kudus after comparing him to current Manchester United winger Antony, saying: "I find Mohammed Kudus a much better football player than Antony. Antony has his skills, but he is confused with the things he is trying to do!
"Kudus has much better technique and he knows what he is doing. Antony may be faster, but Kudus is smarter and more technical. He is much more of a footballer, you can place him anywhere on the pitch, an all-rounder for the team. In fact, I like him much better than Antony. He’s more fun to watch play."
For a fee of £40m, Pochettino could potentially sign one of the bargains of the summer in the 22-year-old gem, while subsequently turning him into an ideal Havertz heir.