Sometimes, the devil of a story lies in the details, and in the case of Mohammed Kudus’s transfer, the underlying narrative may have been overlooked.
Many people seemed to focus on the fact that Kudus almost joined Chelsea and PSG before eventually signing for West Ham. However, the admission from his agent that he was offered around Europe before Ajax agreed to his departure is cause for concern.
Kudus’s representative, Jen Mendelewitsch, has provided a detailed account of her client’s summer transfer saga, during which Chelsea, Arsenal, and Paris Saint-Germain were strongly linked to the player.
Mendelewitsch told RMC Sport, “Kudus wanted to leave, and there weren’t a plethora of clubs in need of a midfielder who could afford him. Naturally, we offered him to PSG. We had reached an agreement with Chelsea, and we had come to contractual terms with Chelsea, but the deal didn’t materialise. He had discussions with the coach, Pochettino“.
This raises the question of how and why Kudus’s agent was allowed to approach clubs to secure his exit. Although it’s a common practice in football, it’s unusual to hear the agent discuss the process so openly, given that it’s generally frowned upon.
This situation raises concerns for West Ham. What would happen if and when Mendelewitsch decides to move her client during his current contract? It appears to me that Kudus was potentially offered to Chelsea and PSG without Ajax’s involvement. While Chelsea’s so-called “derisory” offer made headlines, the details of the story have revealed more than meets the eye.
