Retrospect: Assessing Tottenham’s interest in Kudus Mohammed

Monday morning brought intensified reports of Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in West Ham star Mohammed Kudus.

Per UK based journalist Matt Law, the North London outfit put out the feelers on the Ghanaian international and was left convinced that a deal could be done.

Spurs have reportedly held informal talks with the player’s entourage and are understood to have made a good impression on the player, who is open to the move.

The player’s enthusiasm is shared by West Ham United, who want to turn a significant profit on the £38m they paid for Kudus in 2023.

Spurs have been on the market for a right forward, since the arrival of new manager, Thomas Frank from Brentford.

The North London outfit were said to have settled on two options: West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Brentford’s Bryan Mbuemo.

While West Ham is said to be holding out for a fee in the region of £65m, Brentford has made it clear that £60m is the magic number for Mbuemo.

Last week, Spurs were informed that a reunion of the Cameroonian and his former manager was highly unlikely. The player has since given his word to Manchester United, who are currently negotiating with Brentford.

Although the deal to bring Kudus to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was thought to be expensive, West Ham have softened their stance, a situation that Spurs aware of.

Flashback: Lucas Paqueta (left) and Mikhail Antonio (right) join Mohammed Kudus to celebrate his goal against Tottenham last season

Where does he play?

Thomas Frank loves an effective, right-footed forward who thrives in the half-space and comes alive in the box.

Bryan Mbuemo, who produced double-digit goal contributions for three consecutive seasons, typifies what Frank expects in a winger; tidy in possession, can progress the ball without being fancy about it, and is consistent with his end product.

Kudus could be even better.

He is blessed with a Brazilian box of tricks in a Ghanaian body, is explosive, has close control, a powerful left foot, and a ridiculous shooting technique to go with it.

As she showed with his two goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and another double at AFCON 2023, Kudus delivers on the big stage. In between those, he has scored important goals against Liverpool (Champions League), Arsenal (League Cup), Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League.

Just like Mbuemo, Kudus can thrive when deployed behind a center forward.

How do Kudus’s numbers compare with Tottenham’s right-wing options?