West Ham United star man Mohammed Kudus has reportedly told his representatives to reach out to Premier League rivals Liverpool as the player grows frustrated with the state of the club.
The Hammers have endured a slow start to the 24/25 Premier League season and it looks like things could get worse after reports from Anfield Watch have suggested Kudus is looking for a move away from the club.
Kudus was linked with Arne Slot’s Liverpool over the summer and The Athletic reported the forward had a £85million release clause which was available to other Premier League clubs.
The Ghana international has a contract until 2028 but if fortunes do not turn around at West Ham quickly, the chances of Kudus leaving will only increase every game.
If we do end up losing our star man there’s no doubt we will receive a king’s ransom for his services which in turn we will need to use to bring in a replacement that we can nurture and use to get back to Europe.
Two surprise candidates West Ham should look at
Replacing Kudus is going to be no easy feat, but the windfall of cash gained by selling him will give us the resources to do so.
However, more problems in his West Ham squad need addressing over the next few transfer windows as well. With this in mind, I have chosen a couple of players who could be gotten, the first will cost the club around £35m and the other for much less, around £10-15m.
Jamie Gittens
Firstly and the most expensive on the list is Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens. The 20-year-old cut his teeth in Manchester City’s academy and has begun to flourish in the Bundesliga this season.
So far this season Gittens has racked up four goals and assists in eight games for die Schwarzgelben and is becoming a starter in Nuri Sahin’s side. Gittens would suit this West Ham side to a tee, he attacks directly and loves to run with the ball and take on defenders.
According to Fbref, Gittens ranks in the 96th percentile for take-ons and 85th for progressive carries compared to other wingers in Europe’s top five leagues. He can drag defenders out of position and allow more space for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta to attack the defence.
He has also shown he has an eye for goals as he ranks in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals. The Hammers will need to dip into a decent chunk of the kitty to bring him in and will face competition, but Dortmund will struggle to turn down a lucrative offer and it’ll be difficult to turn down a return to England.
Jesrun Rak-Sakyi
The second option is Crystal Palace winger Jesrun Rak-Sakyi, who is currently on loan at Championship side Sheffield United.
While I understand the prospect of signing Rak-Sakyi might not excite Hammers fans as much as Gittens, he is a dynamic winger who has found form in England’s second division which should not be sniffed at.
The 22-year-old has two goals and one assist in just over 500 Championship minutes and is beginning to find his feet in the squad as they fight for a promotion place.
Like Gittens, Rak-Sakyi is a winger who loves to drive at defenders and link up with other attackers to create space in the opponent’s box.
The Palace man ranks in the 99th percentile for touches in the opponent’s box, 95th for progressive carries, and 93rd for successful take-ons. He also has fantastic defensive qualities, ranking in the 99th percentile for tackles and 85th for interceptions compared to other wingers.
The Eagles have endured a horrific start to the season and could be stuck in the relegation battle, regardless of their Premier League status come the end of the season they are due to lose some more players next summer and Rak-Sakyi could be one of them.
Despite gaining £50m from selling Michael Olise, if they are to continue to invest they will need to sell and therefore West Ham could look to capitalise and lure Rak-Sakyi across London for a minimal fee.
He is certainly a gamble, but a cheap gamble where the payoff could be huge.
