West Ham tried to keep key Mohammed Kudus transfer deal details secret but selling club Ajax spill the beans in official announcement.
West Ham fans are strutting around like peacocks at the moment and is it any wonder.
Second in the fledgling Premier League table after 3-1 wins over Chelsea and Brighton against the backdrop of what is being dubbed one of West Ham’s best ever transfer windows.
The Hammers added a fourth impressive addition to David Moyes’ side when Mohammed Kudus was officially unveiled after more great work from technical director Tim Steidten.
Fans loving West Ham’s new German efficiency in transfer market
Besides the acquisitions themselves, West Ham fans – and pundits – have been equally impressed by the manner in which the club have gone about their business.
West Ham were labelled ‘a complete mess’ by a club insider as they struggled to make signings last month.
We here on Hammers News questioned the ‘West Ham transfer circus’ that was developing and highlighted the new recruitment model would never work until Moyes relinquished his power of veto.
Thankfully there appears to have been a meeting of minds between Moyes and Steidten since. And West Ham’s transfer business has been conducted with the kind of German efficiency Hammers supporters simply are not used to.
Agreeing deals with players and intermediaries before settling on a fee with clubs has been a refreshing change which appears key to getting deals over the line.
West Ham tried to keep key Mohammed Kudus transfer deal details secret but selling club Ajax spill the beans in official announcement
The club’s bigwigs have been biding their time to get the right players at the right prices. And the board are not looking to be bombastic about the money being spent or over-egging the pudding when it comes to the players being signed.
West Ham even tried to keep key Kudus transfer deal details secret but selling club Ajax spill the beans in their official announcement.
When West Ham unveiled Kudus on Sunday night, they chose not to disclose the fee they paid Ajax for the Ghana star.
“The Hammers fought off intense competition from some of Europe’s leading clubs to secure the services of the exciting Ghana international attacker from Ajax,” West Ham’s statement reads.
“The 23-year-old joins the Irons on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, becoming the Club’s fourth major summer signing following his former Ajax teammate and Mexico international Edson Álvarez, Greece defender Dinos Mavropanos and England midfielder James Ward-Prowse.”
Ajax confirm base £37m Kudus fee which could top out at just £39.5m
In transfer deals, when the buying club does not wish to publicly disclose the fee they have paid for a player, the selling club is often asked to do the same and usually comply. Not least because it is often in their interests that other clubs do not know how much money they have when they go into the market themselves.
But Ajax did not follow West Ham’s lead on this particular deal, confirming the financial details by revealing a set €43m (£37m) transfer fee could rise to (£39.5m) ‘through variables’.
“Ajax and West Ham United FC have reached an agreement on the transfer of Mohammed Kudus to the club from London,” Ajax state on their official site.
“The attacking midfielder’s contract at Ajax ran until June 30, 2025. Ajax and West Ham United FC agreed on a €43 million (£37m) transfer fee. This amount can increase to €46 million (£39.5m) through variables.”
There was always going to be a big focus on how West Ham went about spending the £140m raised through the sales of Declan Rice, Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic.
And they are doing a fine job as we close on deadline day.
So much so, a European football expert has praised West Ham’s exceptional rebuild.