Arsenal have been in contention for the Premier League title in each of the past three seasons, but they are still in need of additional star power to get over the hump. Although goals at striker should be the priority, talkSPORT reports that Arsenal are renewing their interest in West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus.
Primarily known for his one-on-one dribbling, Kudus is a versatile player who can start on the wings, as an attacking midfielder, or as a center forward. But while he has a lot of talent and can have some of the best weekends of any player in the Premier League, he has more than double the number of games in which he is a huge disappointment.
Kudus has an 85 million pound release clause in his West Ham contract, so, this point, it’s mostly been Saudi Pro League clubs linked to Kudus. Per talkSPORT’s report, Arsenal understandably don’t want to spend that kind of money on Kudus.
Arsenal are better off spending on a goal-scorer
Mikel Arteta is reportedly a “long-time” fan of Kudus’s, but it’s entirely obvious that an inconsistent player – no matter how much upside that player seems to have – isn’t even worth half that kind of money.
West Ham seem to want to find someone willing to accept the full release clause pay, but unless they are willing to cut a deal with Arsenal, which is unlikely since it’s within the Premier League, they will have to hope a club like Al-Nassr swoops in with a Jhon Duran-esque deal.
Arsenal would be better off spending their money on one of the top-class striker options on the market. Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, and Hugo Ekitike are all available for less than Kudus and have more consistent track records with the kind of goal-scoring quality Arsenal need to turn their fortunes around in the Premier League title race.
As for West Ham, they are in the market for a new striker, too, despite the recent form a healthy Niclas Fullkrug has shown. Someone closer to their prime would do, with Jonathan David being the dream as a free agent signing.
Kudus is still just 24 years old, and while he has only scored four goals with two assists this season, the Ghanian international has averaged a whopping 3.0 dribbles completed and 2.1 fouls drawn per game in the Premier League this season. He may not be the right choice for Arsenal at that price point and for what they need, but he is a serious talent with his athleticism and skill on the ball.
Joe Soriano covers Tottenham for FanSided’s Hotspur HQ and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.