Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that a deal worth around £55million ($74.7m) had been agreed between the two clubs, with Kudus set to sign a six-year contract. Spurs had an initial bid of £50m rejected by West Ham, as reported by The Athletic on July 5.
The agreed fee is less than the buyout clause inserted in Kudus’ West Ham contract, which was active only for the first 10 days of July. The clause set a price of £80million ($108m) for teams on the continent, £85m for those in the Premier League and £120m for those in Saudi Arabia, while his deal at the London Stadium was valid until the summer of 2028.
The 24-year-old has been a key player for West Ham since he joined the club from Ajax in a deal worth €41m plus €3m in add-ons in 2023. He scored 14 goals — eight in the league — for the club in his debut season, alongside nine assists.
His output slowed in the subsequent campaign, with five goals and four assists in 35 matches as he played across multiple position’s in West Ham’s attack. Two of his goals came under Graham Potter, after the former Chelsea head coach succeeded Julen Lopetegui in January.
Kudus becomes Spurs’ first addition to the squad since the appointment of Thomas Frank as head coach last month. Prior to his arrival, Mathys Tel signed for the club permanently for a fee worth up to €45m following a six-month spell during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign. The Athletic reported on Thursday Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is to undergo a medical at Spurs as Frank looks to bolster his new squad.
Tottenham have been actively looking to strengthen their attack, having shown interest in reuniting Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo with head coach Frank, but the 25-year-old informed the north London club of his preference to join Manchester United. Spurs also made an inquiry for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, but the winger extended his contract with the South Coast club until 2030.
‘A significant coup’ for Spurs
Analysis from Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris
Spurs have spent the first few weeks of the transfer window trying to sign a right winger. However, Bryan Mbeumo has made it clear he wants to join Manchester United and Antoine Semenyo signed a new long-term contract with Bournemouth. Kudus might not have been their first-choice target but he is still a significant coup for new head coach Thomas Frank.
Frank loves players who are positionally versatile. Kudus has spent the majority of his time with West Ham United on the right wing but he operates as a No 10 for Ghana. Frank could use the 24-year-old as a threat cutting inside onto his stronger left foot or as a powerful and dynamic dribbler in tight central areas.
Tottenham’s squad struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League and the Europa League last season so it was crucial that they boosted their numbers this summer. Mathys Tel arrived permanently, after spending the second half of last season on loan from Bayern Munich, but he only turned 20 in April and is still raw. Kudus has a lot of room for growth but is far more experienced and proven.
It will be interesting to see how Kudus’ arrival impacts Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski. Johnson was Tottenham’s top scorer in all competitions last season and he scored the winning goal in the Europa League final. Johnson primarily plays on the right and Frank tried to sign him when he was in charge of Brentford. Will Kudus replace Johnson as the first-choice right winger or will he take over Kulusevski’s playmaking responsibilities in the middle of the pitch? Spurs have a lot of attacking talent at their disposal and it will be fascinating to see how Frank will effectively combine them.
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