Manchester United have been given a huge boost in the pursuit of transfer target Mohammed Kudus, who has told his current side, Ajax, that he wants to leave.
The Ghanaian midfielder has impressed for both club and country this season, with a number of Premier League clubs, such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle United, all interested signing him this summer.
However, it is the Red Devils who seem in pole position to sign Kudus, who Erik ten Hag actually signed for Ajax and praised his "incredible potential" early in his career.
According to The Athletic, Kudus has told Ajax he is seeking a move away from the Amsterdam Arena this summer, after rejecting a one-year extension at the club in April. While his contract runs until 2025, the report indicates Ajax will look to offload the 22-year-old sooner rather than later, in order to obtain a larger transfer fee.
Previous suggestions have claimed Kudus will be available for around £40 million. With Ten Hag experimenting with players in different roles this term, Kudus could be the Dutchman's general when it comes to positional fluidity.
A No.10 by definition, Kudus is left-footed with a powerful shot – but the Ajax star has played up front, deeper in midfield and on both flanks. Ten Hag could easily use him as a false nine facilitating penetrative runs from Marcus Rashford, as a midfielder ahead of Casemiro and Eriksen or as an alternative to Antony on the right.
Kudus scored two goals at World Cup 2022 for Ghana, ensuring clubs sat up and took notice of him. By that point he had already bagged four times in the group stages of the Champions League, and, despite Ajax failing to progress to the knockout stages, his performances earned rave reviews across Europe.
With Ajax failing to qualify for next season's Champions League, it seems Kudus' intention is to join a competitive side in the competition. While Arsenal are also interested, it seems their focus is primarily on other targets elsewhere this window. Newcastle could still make a move and challenge Manchester United, though.
