Tottenham is pursuing the signing of winger Mohammed Kudus (24, West Ham). The stumbling block is 'money'.
British media outlet TeamTalk reported on the 3rd (Korea time) that "Tottenham, which had made a transfer offer of £50 million (approximately 93.2 billion won) to West Ham for Kudus, was rejected. They knocked on West Ham's door again with £55 million (approximately 102.5 billion won, including options), but failed again. West Ham wants a transfer fee starting with at least '6'. Considering that Kudus' buyout amount is £84 million (approximately 156.5 billion won), it seems that West Ham considers around £65 million (approximately 121.1 billion won) to be a reasonable transfer fee."
It noted, “It remains uncertain whether Tottenham will prepare a third offer or start looking for alternatives again.”
Thomas Frank, the Tottenham manager, is paying attention to Kudus' versatile talent. Kudus is evaluated as a substitute resource for Son Heung-min, as he can play both at the forefront and on both sides.
TeamTalk reported, "Kudus scored 5 goals and provided 4 assists in the league last season, but Coach Frank believes he has the potential to record double-digit attacking points."
Tottenham is in the midst of a massive reinforcement of its squad in this summer transfer market. They have fully acquired defender Kevin Danso and forward Mathys Tel, spending a total of £60 million. They also spent £5 million (approximately 9.3 billion won) to sign Japanese defender Kota Takai.
Reinforcement in attack is still ongoing. Coach Frank is considering players like Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) and Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) as transfer candidates. However, Kudus has emerged as the number one target.
West Ham is in a position where selling players this summer is inevitable due to financial issues. Jarrod Bowen, the captain and a key asset, is classified as not for sale, but Kudus, one of the valuable assets in the team, is included in the summer transfer market for sale. He can be transferred for an amount lower than the buyout. West Ham is only willing to sell for above £60 million.
Meanwhile, attention is also focused on Son Heung-min's future. Football London reported on the 30th of last month that "Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States and Saudi Arabian clubs are showing interest in Son Heung-min. He is expected to return to preseason training and discuss the future with Coach Frank."
Son Heung-min is showing an open attitude towards a transfer this summer. According to Football London, he is seriously considering the possibility of a transfer after lifting the trophy he desired at Tottenham.
[Photo] Kudus, Son Heung-min ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), SpursWeb
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