Mohammed Kudus speaks out on West Ham transfer after netting Ajax hat-trick

West Ham transfer target Mohammed Kudus believes he has now played his final game for Ajax after netting a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory against Ludogorets in a Europa League qualification match. Eyebrows were raised when the Ghana international attacker was named in Maurice Steijn’s starting lineup as an agreement with the Hammers worth an initial £35.5million plus £2.5m in add-ons is close.

And if West Ham were fearing a potential injury blow – they must now be concerned that Ajax may feel entitled to raise their asking price following Kudus’ mouthwatering display.

Personal terms are not expected to be a problem and when quizzed on a move to the London Stadium, Kudus told Dutch TV following his treble: “West Ham? [They are a] Good club, yes.”

He later added: “I think it was my final game here at Ajax. I don’t have control over anything but let’s see what happens.

“The talks are going on. We have to see if an agreement is reached in the next few days. Then we take it from there. That’s not my call or my job, I just do my thing on the pitch and my team takes care of the rest.”

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When asked how much he would miss Ajax if he was to complete the move, Kudus added: ” I will answer that when everything is official.”

There have been suggestions that West Ham’s technical director Tim Steidten flew to Bulgaria on Thursday night via private jet to thrash out the final details of the transfer with Ajax.

The Eredivisie side have been reluctant to lose Kudus this late in the transfer window but West Ham’s offer is understood to be viewed as acceptable – even if Ajax are left with little time to find a replacement.

Kudus failed to agree personal terms with Brighton earlier in the transfer window after the Seagulls struck a deal for the 23-year-old forward.

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There have also been enquiries from the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal but there is now cautious optimism that Kudus wants to join West Ham despite late interest from Saudi Arabia.

The player was pictured glued to his phone as he joined his Ajax team-mates for a pre-match stroll on Thursday afternoon before the squad arrived at the Huvepharma Arena for the one-sided contest.

West Ham remain determined to get the deal over the line and they are prepared to work long into the night to try and make something happen.

Kudus is viewed as West Ham’s top attacking target despite talks with Sevilla for Youssef En-Nesyri, who is of long-term admiration to David Moyes.

While interest in Kudus is totally independent of a deal for En-Nesyri, the Ajax attacker remains West Ham’s top priority.

When quizzed on whether he had to prove something during the match, Kudus said: “Prove something? No, I just did my stuff. I wanted to help the team to win.

“This was my first hat-trick but I don’t think it was one of my best performances.”

He later added on his future: “It’s one day at a time, I live in the present moment and I’m here now. Everything off the pitch will take care of itself.”

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