Aheed Abrar
Brighton & Hove Albion deal for Manchester United target and Ajax Amsterdam forward Mohammed Kudus not close
Manchester United target and Ajax Amsterdam forward Mohammed Kudus is not close to signing for Brighton & Hove Albion, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Manchester Evening News].
As things stand, the Seagulls have a long way to go before acquiring the services of the Ghana international. A number of other Premier League teams also have the 22-year-old on their radar.
Apart from the Red Devils, Kudus has caught the eye of the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal in the English top flight. Therefore, the Old Trafford side will face strong competition if they opt to pursue his signature.
For now, the Ghanaian is tied down at the Eredivisie outfit until June 2025. However, back in April, the youngster rejected a one-year extension. De Godenzonen want around £40 million to part ways with the 22-year-old.
Ajax signed Kudus in the summer of 2020 when Erik ten Hag was still in charge. But under the Dutch manager, the forward was a bit-part player, mostly making appearances off the bench.
However, in the 2022/23 campaign, the Ghanaian came into his own and became the Eredivisie outfit’s talisman. In 42 appearances in all competitions, the 22-year-old found the back of the net 18 times and provided seven assists.
Roberto De Zerbi has done an exceptional job at Brighton. The Amex Stadium side finished sixth in the league last season and are set to play in the Europa League. Thus, they will seemingly need to add more quality to their ranks to compete at a high level.
As for Man United, we have the Champions League to look forward to. Unfortunately, the Red Devils are yet to address the problem in the striking department. Anthony Martial is the only natural number nine at Ten Hag’s disposal at the moment.
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Kudus is still young and has a lot to do in his career. However, the Ghanaian is versatile and is capable of playing in various positions. Thus, a player like the 22-year-old in the squad could evidently be a valuable asset for the gaffer.
