Chelsea now close to agreeing personal terms with £40m player who Liverpool reportedly wanted – journalist
Report: Chelsea now close to agreeing personal terms with £40m player who Liverpool reportedly wanted – journalist
A reported Liverpool target earlier this summer, Ajax ace Mohammed Kudus is nearing a move to the Premier League, but not to sign for the Reds.
According to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are close to agreeing terms with the 22-year-old star in a deal worth £40m. The Ghana international is under contract at Ajax until 2025, but rejected the option of a further year back in April which caused a host of top European clubs to be on red alert.
Kudus was touted as a back-up option for Mason Mount should the Reds fail to sign the ex-Chelsea man, but it now looks as though it is a deal dead in the water for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
No offer has been placed yet by the Blues, but they are ahead of the pack in finalising personal terms for the attacking midfielder amid genuine interest from Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion.
After joining Ajax from Nordsjælland in 2020, Kudus has made 84 appearances for de Godenzonen, scoring 23 goals and registering 11 assists in that time.
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He also shined on the international stage at the World Cup in 2022, scoring two goals against South Korea to help Ghana to a 3-2 victory. However, the Ghanians were ultimately unable to make it out of the group on this occasion.
Should Conor Gallagher leave Stamford Bridge this summer, it is thought that Chelsea would accelerate their attempts to get a deal over the line for Kudus.
If not Kudus, then who?
With it now looking extremely likely that Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are on their way out of Anfield this summer, Liverpool are desperately in need of midfield reinforcements to go alongside the addition of World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.
Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is a player who has been frequently linked to the club over pre-season, so he is certainly one to keep an eye on.
The ship for Kudus may well have sailed, but there is still plenty of time left during the transfer window for Klopp to find his man.
