For obvious reasons, West Ham United would rather have sold Mohammed Kudus to Saudi Arabia rather than see the Ghana international move a few miles down the road with bitter Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
But, when Kudus rebuffed Saudi Pro League interest, after Manchester United opted for Bryan Mbeumo and Newcastle placed the former Ajax star at the back of a queue fronted by Anthony Elanga, it became clear at the beginning of July that it would be Tottenham or bust.
West Ham eventually accepted Daniel Levy’s £54.5 million bid. As a result, Mohammed Kudus walked down a path untouched for 14 years.
The first to swap the Hammers for Spurs since Scott Parker in 2011.
While the nature of his departure and the identity of his destination undid much of the goodwill held towards Kudus by the West Ham United faithful, some may at least retain a grudging respect for a footballer who rejected the oil-stained petrodollars of Saudi Arabia in order to follow his Champions League ambitions in North London.
The life-changing, generational-wealth-securing wages on offer in the Middle East are not easily ignored.
Take Saimon Bouabre, for instance. The Monaco teenager who, according to reports had an offer on the table from West Ham but instead opts to grab an opportunity Kudus tossed aside.
Monaco starlet Saimon Bouabre chooses Saudi Arabia over West Ham United
According to French publication Nice Matin, Bouabre is set to join Neom SC for an initial fee of £8.5 million.
Monaco will earn a big profit, then, on a player who has made only four Ligue 1 appearances since graduating from their academy. Bouabre, meanwhile, is expected to increase his weekly wage tenfold.
This comes after L’Equipe reported that, in addition to West Ham, Bouabre had received interest from Marseille and newly-promoted Paris FC.
While Callum Wilson’s likely arrival suggests otherwise, West Ham are focusing on young, long-term additions this summer. Bouabre, a France Under-20 international, is only a few months younger than El Hadji Malick Diouf; The £19 million left-back brought in from Slavia Prague.
Neom SC may be a new name to many supporters. But, according to The Athletic, a nouveau-riche, highly-ambitious institution preparing for their maiden Saudi Pro League campaign have ‘a legitimate claim to be the richest [football club] in the world’.
Former West Ham winger Said Benrahma was instrumental in last season’s promotion. The PIF-owned outfit have since spent a further £40 million-plus bringing Nathan Zeze, Marcin Bulka and Amadou Kone from France to Saudi, alongside Lyon legend Alexandre Lacazette.
Neom are now set to add Bouabre to a heavily Ligue 1-influenced squad. Benrahma also joined, back in January, shortly after leaving West Ham for Olympique Lyonnais.
Kudus picked Tottenham while West Ham remain in Raphael Onyedika chase
While Bouabre will be heavily remunerated, Mohammed Kudus was reportedly offered £17 million-a-year by Neom SC. A quite staggering wage of around £320,000-a-week.
Back at the London Stadium, while Kudus’ £54.5 million sale freed up funds for Diouf, it is reported that West Ham need further sales before they can step up their pursuit of Mateus Fernandes, Harvey Elliott and co.
Raphael Onyedika is West Ham’s first-choice midfield target, meanwhile. The Club Brugge enforcer is expected to cost in excess of £20 million, though, and it appears Onyedika is in no rush to leave Belgium for England anyway.
“He is fully focused on Club Bruges for now,” a source speaking on behalf of Onyedika’s representatives told Africa Foot late last month. “If there is to be a transfer, it will be up to the clubs to decide.
“Raphael is in no rush to leave. He is happy in Bruges and will not demand a move. He is an exemplary professional, always striving for improvement.
“He is humble enough to know that the right time will come, and he will welcome it.”
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