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Despite dazzling for Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mohammed Kudus is still yet to get a big move away from Ajax.
Everyone in football knows the easiest way for players to get a big move is to have a good international tournament, especially the FIFA World Cup.
The 2022 edition was no different as the biggest individual actors in Qatar have either gotten a move or being constantly linked to one which could come to fruition before the end of the winter transfer window.
However, Mohammed Kudus has so far not enjoyed that privilege despite being one of the major protagonists of the 2022 showpiece.
Mohammed Kudus at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Kudus was one of the best players in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and one of the best African players at the tournament.
In three games, the Ghanaian ace scored twice with both goals coming in a 3-2 win against South Korea but even in the other two games in which he didn’t score, Kudus still stood out from his compatriots.
The 22-year-old was the shiniest Black Star in the defeats to Portugal and Uruguay and won the Man of the match award for his game-winning performance against South Korea.
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One would expect that Ajax would face an uphill battle to keep him in Amsterdam in the aftermath of the World Cup but the trail has gone cold compared to other World Cup stars.
Cody Gakpo was snapped up by Liverpool off the back of a strong Group Stage display despite not doing much else in the knockout stages for the Netherlands.
Enzo Fernandez has already been strongly linked to Chelsea in a potential move worth £125 million that may yet still happen, off the back of his incredible World Cup campaign.
Even an aged player like Guillermo Ochoa was able to revive his stocks and the goalkeeper earned a move back to Europe with Salernitana, such is the power of the Mundial.
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But why not for Kudus? Why is such an excellently talented and versatile player struggling to get his dream move to a top-five European league despite his paltry (by the standards of the current transfer climate) £35 million valuation?
Why is Mohammed Kudus not hot property?
The seeming lack of serious interest in Mohammed Kudus so far could be caused by a number of things and while there is no definitive answer, the probable reasons are still worth exploring.
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The most obvious reason is the January transfer window, clubs tend to spend less and are wiser in their dealings (except for Chelsea) during the winter window so as not to disrupt their season.
Luxury buys are few and far between in the January windows compared to the summer windows, clubs tend to prioritise immediate needs and perhaps Kudus’ profile is not a priority for any of the top teams he would want to leave Ajax for.
Another potential reason the Ghanaian World Cup star tarries in Amsterdam is perhaps due to his position, or lack of it thereof, perhaps Kudus is a victim of his own versatility?
The 22-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder, more specifically a number 10, which is a position that is slowly getting phased out of football in recent years.
At Ajax, Kudus has functioned mostly as a striker this season, returning 10 goals in 21 games across all competitions before the World Cup.
Even his national team coach does not know his best position, Kudus started in central midfield against Portugal, starred on the right wing against South Korea and featured as a striker against Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Positionless players at the top level are proving problematic to fit in tactically, players like Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Cristopher Nkunku etc no coincidence that they are all attached to a struggling club.
The last reason is the least plausible but still worth mentioning nonetheless and it is the African factor in the European transfer market.
There is an unproven notion that black African players often find it more difficult to attract similar transfers, contracts and wages to their counterparts from other continents.
Even though there is no way to prove or measure this, it is still hard to think that a Dutch attacker would remain at Ajax after having the kind of World Cup outing that Kudus did.
It is also worth mentioning that Kudus is currently injured and that could also be why teams are not as keen on signing him but it is most likely a combination of the aforementioned factors.
- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Pulse Sports
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