It could be second time lucky for Mohammed Kudus as the January transfer window fast approaches.
Just last summer, the Ajax midfielder was seemingly on the verge of completing a move to the Premier League as some reports went as far as to claim Everton were set to sign him initially on a season-long loan deal with a view to turning it into a permanent one in the summer of 2023.
Of course, the deal never materialised and Kudus stayed put for a couple of reasons. One was the Eredivisie outfit's refusal to let another senior player depart after selling Antony as well as Lisandro Martinez to Manchester United and Ryan Gravenberch to Bayern Munich.
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The other reason, as explained by the 22-year-old himself when addressing why his potential move to Everton fell through, was the lack of a guarantee over regular game time: "Everton offered me a great opportunity and I wanted to try it," he recalled back in September when speaking to Dutch outlet NOS.
"No footballer wants to sit on the bench and neither do I. Although I understood that not everyone can play all the time, Everton seemed like a good option at the time. It wasn't that I didn't want to train, but I'm human and had a lot to deal with in a very short time. The chapter is now over and I'm still here."
Kudus' comments about not wanting to sit on the bench could be relevant in the coming weeks, especially amid reports that he is now attracting interest from Arsenal after impressing at the World Cup for Ghana where he scored twice in his nation's 3-2 win over South Korea earlier in the week.
According to 90 Min, the Gunners, as well as Newcastle United have asked about Kudus' 'current situation' at Ajax ahead of a potential January transfer window move. Although, the pair could face competition from Tottenham and Liverpool as they too have previously been credited with an interest in the midfielder.
Predominately an attacking midfielder, Kudus has operated as a centre-forward for Ajax this season and on the right-hand side of the attack which means he could add depth in the engine room whilst providing cover for Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka should a move to Arsenal come to fruition.
With 10 goals to his name across all competitions so far this season - including one against Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League - the Ghanaian could be a welcome addition to the Gunners' first-team squad but only on the condition that he's willing to accept competition for a place in the starting XI.
It's well documented that one of Arteta's non-negotiables is that no player is an automatic starter: "We cannot guarantee first-team football to anybody," he revealed in the summer. "What we guarantee is that the ones we really see and think are going to take us to the next level, they're going to be playing a lot of minutes."
The good news is that Kudus accepts "not everyone can play all the time". This stance can make any transfer decision even easier, alternatively, if the midfielder feels being a guaranteed starter at his next club is best for his development then perhaps a move to Arsenal wouldn't be the best choice.
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