West Ham sign Mohammed Kudus for £38m: Decoding his stats
Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus has joined West Ham United from Ajax for £38m. The 23-year-old midfielder had severe interest from various Premier League clubs but the Hammers won the race in roping him in. With this move to London, Kudus ends his three-year stay at Ajax. He has signed a five-year deal with the club, keeping him here till 2028. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
This will be West Ham's fourth signing of the summer as they have roped in Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Konstantinos Mavropanos before him. David Moyes wants more options in midfield and with Kudus, he will get a player who can play as no. 10 and also slot in on the flanks. The 23-year-old is creative and also has a knack for scoring goals.
A look at his career stats
Kudus started his career at Ghana's Right to Dream Football Academy before moving to Danish top-tier club FC Nordsjælland in 2018. After playing some matches for their reserves, he featured in 57 fixtures for the senior team, scoring 14 times across two seasons. He then joined Ajax in 2020 and scored 27 times in 87 matches (11 assists). He managed 18 goals last season.
Breaking down Kudus' numbers in the Eredivisie 2022-23 season
Kudus featured in 30 matches of the 2022-23 Eredivisie, scoring 11 goals and making three assists. He created 29 chances. As per Opta, he completed 558 out of 637 attempted passes clocking 87.6% passing accuracy. He managed 55 attempts (excluding blocks) and 28 were on target. Kudus completed 91 take-ons and made 25 tackles. He scored nine goals from inside the box.
A look at his numbers at Ajax
As mentioned, Kudus netted 27 times in 87 appearances for Ajax. He netted 17 goals in 65 Eredivisie appearances. He played six matches in the Dutch Cup, scoring once. Kudus scored four times in nine UCL matches while scoring once in five Europa League clashes. He scored once in the Dutch Supercup. In the 2023-24 season, he played two matches, scoring four goals (A1).
Kudus tasted some success with Ajax
The youngster opened his account with the 2020-21 KNVB Cup. Kudus won consecutive Eredivisie titles with Ajax in 2020-21 and 2021-22. He was acknowledged in the Eredivisie Team of the Month four times. In May 2021, he was the league's Talent of the Month.
A crucial player for Ghana
Since making his international debut for Ghana in 2019, Kudus has immediately become a crucial player for the Black Stars. Kudus has amassed 24 international caps for Ghana while scoring seven goals. His first international goal came against South Africa in 2019. He featured in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and scored a brace in their 3-2 win over South Korea.
