West Ham United are actively engaged in negotiations for the potential transfer of Ajax's attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
This move is being considered as a contingency plan in case Lucas Paqueta's transfer to Manchester City materializes.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the light on this situation and also provides insight into why the Ghana international's expected move to Brighton has encountered obstacles.
The Hammers are facing a genuine threat of losing their Brazilian ace to Pep Guardiola's City, as Romano asserts that the Premier League champions are fully committed to making another bid for the midfielder.
Therefore, Kudus stands as a promising replacement option for Paqueta, should the latter's departure occur. However, complications have emerged in the 23-year-old's prospective deal, reminiscent of the situation Brighton encountered.
Writing in his Caught Offside column, the Italian transfer insider revealed that the Seagulls stopped pursuing Kudus due to concerns over the contractual framework, particularly their reluctance to incorporate a release clause.
“Manchester City will also bid again for Lucas Paqueta – 100%. Now West Ham are working on a deal for Mohammed Kudus deal in case Paqueta could go to Man City, talks are ongoing.
“Kudus has been attracting interest all summer, particularly from Brighton. However, Brighton rejected the inclusion of a release clause in the deal and also there were some other issues – the player was not happy with the proposal and Brighton decided to move on. They don’t like these kind of situations.”
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