Kudus was the subject of huge interest from Premier League clubs in summer 2023 after a string of eye-catching displays in Ajax’s 2022-23 Champions League campaign.
The Dutch giants were eliminated at the group stage but Kudus set up six goals in as many appearances – including a stunning effort off the underside of the bar in a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield – catching the eye of Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton, among others.
It was West Ham, though, who won the race to sign the Ghanaian, who wasted little time in recapturing the form of his final year in the Netherlands, plundering eight goals and six assists in the league in an excellent debut season under David Moyes.
Named the Premier League’s best newcomer by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville at the end of the campaign, Kudus also won West Ham’s goal of the season award for his magnificent solo effort against German club Freiburg in the Europa League.
His second season with the Hammers, however, was underwhelming to say the least.
Kudus struggled to adapt to Graham Potter’s wing-back system after the Englishman succeeded Julen Lopetegui in January 2024, his final-day effort against already-relegated Ipswich Town one of only two efforts under the former Brighton boss.
He was often deployed as a striker by Potter and only rarely featured wide on the right, arguably his best position but one in which West Ham already have skipper Jarrod Bowen.
The Ghanaian attempted the most dribbles in the Premier League for the second season running in 24-25 – 198 compared to 281 the season before – but his success rate dropped from 55.9% to 47%.
He was also much less effective off the ball last term, winning back possession on 148 occasions compared to 298 times in his debut campaign.
Perhaps his most telling contribution – if you can call it that – in his final year with the Hammers came in a 4-1 defeat against Spurs last October, when he was sent off for kicking out at defender Micky van de Ven and raising his hands to both the Dutchman and midfielder Pape Sarr.
Kudus, who was subsequently handed a five-match ban, later said he was “deeply embarrassed” by his actions.
