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LONDON. — West Ham have agreed a deal to sign Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kuduso for 44.5m euros(£38m) plus add-ons.
The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in Ajax’s Europa League play-off win over Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Thursday.
The Hammers were represented at the game, with the Ghana international saying afterwards it might have been his last match for the Dutch side.
Kudus is set to fly to London for his medical on Saturday.
He has been the subject of huge interest from Premier League clubs this summer and Ajax have inserted a sell-on fee in the deal.
Brighton were understood to have reached an agreement with Ajax for Kudus earlier this month, but they were unable to finalise personal terms.
Kudus started his professional career at Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2018, before joining Ajax in 2020 where he has scored 27 goals in 87 appearances, helping his side to two Dutch league titles.
He scored 11 goals in 30 Eredivisie appearances last season as Ajax finished third.
For Ghana, Kudus has scored seven goals in 24 games since making his debut in 2019 and started all three matches for his side at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over South Korea.
He is set to become manager David Moyes’ second purchase from Ajax this summer following the arrival of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez in a deal thought to be worth about £35m.
West Ham also signed midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart earlier this month. — BBC Sport.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter