Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have already explained why Mohammed Kudus could be a risky signing for Tottenham, as the West Ham star prepares for his medical in North London.
Thomas Frank has wasted little time making his mark since replacing Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. The former Brentford boss has already made two additions, bolstering both ends of the pitch.
Mathys Tel became the first arrival of the Frank era, joining Spurs in a £29.5 million deal after spending the second half of last season on loan at Tottenham.
Then came Kota Takai, a 20-year-old centre-back who was snapped up from the J League in a record-breaking move for a player from the Japanese top flight.
Tottenham pushing for Mohammed Kudus transfer despite Gary Neville warning
Tottenham are now closing in on what could be their third signing of the summer and arguably the most eye-catching of the lot, as they prepare for Mohammed Kudus’ medical.
Reports suggested this week that Daniel Levy was working hard to complete the signing of Kudus for Thomas Frank, yet despite multiple approaches, Tottenham saw three separate bids rejected by West Ham, who were holding out for a fee in the region of £60 million.
Fabrizio Romano finally gave the Kudus to Tottenham deal his ‘here we go’ seal of approval on Wednesday, and Spurs are expected to make an official announcement on Thursday.
However, judging by Gary Neville’s past assessment of the player, the former Manchester United star believes Tottenham may have just made a risky investment.
Speaking earlier this year in February 2024, Neville acknowledged Kudus’ raw ability, labelling him “special”, but also called for more composure in the final third.
His remarks came after West Ham’s 4-2 victory over Brentford, where Kudus picked up just one assist despite several opportunities to make a bigger impact.
Neville said on his podcast: “Kudus has got something special, but he needs to be more mature in his final choices. Sometimes wingers can be unpredictable, but they need to be unpredictable not just to the opposition but also to their own teammates. In the first half, he took one or two wild shots instead of making a final pass.”
The Ghanaian forward’s numbers have also dipped. After registering 18 goals and ten assists in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign, he managed only five goals and three assists in 32 Premier League appearances last season.
Mohammed Kudus’ Premier League record at West Ham United | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards |
2023–24 | 33 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
2024–25 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Jamie Carragher has echoed some of Neville’s concerns, arguing that Kudus did not look like the same player in 2024/25 compared to his explosive debut season in England.
The Sky Sports pundit insisted that Kudus belongs at a club fighting higher up the table, but also acknowledged that his form played a part in West Ham United’s underwhelming season.
Carragher said on Sky Sports: “There is no doubt he is a quality player who should be playing for a team, I would say, that is closer to the top of the table than near the bottom right now.
“But probably one of the reasons why West Ham are where they are this season is because he has not shown the form that he showed last season. Last season he looked fantastic, he just has not looked the same player this season.”
Regardless, Tottenham are expected to announce Mohammed Kudus in the next 24 hours as they kickstart an exciting rebuild under Thomas Frank.
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