Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham: Everything you need to know - The Athletic

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of winger Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for a fee of approximately £55 million ($74.7m). The 24-year-old Ghanaian international has signed a six-year contract with the club.

Kudus began his career at Ghana's Right to Dream Academy before joining Danish club Nordsjaelland in 2018. After two seasons and 57 appearances (14 goals), he moved to Ajax for the 2020-21 season. Over three seasons in Amsterdam, hampered by injuries, he scored 27 goals in 87 appearances. West Ham signed him in summer 2023, where he made 80 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists across two seasons.

Kudus' primary strength is his exceptional dribbling ability; he is extremely difficult to dispossess, excels in one-on-one situations, and boasts quick feet with rapid changes of direction. Last season in the Premier League, his 7.2 take-ons attempted per 90 minutes were second only to Jeremy Doku. He also demonstrates smart off-the-ball movement and can hold up play. While primarily a winger, he has experience across the forward line and midfield. A noted weakness is his finishing, as his shot accuracy is relatively low.

Tottenham's new head coach, Thomas Frank, is expected to value Kudus' dynamism, particularly his explosive dribbling which can help break down defensive blocks and his ball-carrying prowess in transition. His skills align with Tottenham's strength in fast counter-attacks (they scored 10 fast-break goals last season, second only to Liverpool) and should amplify this aspect of their play, even if Frank's overall style differs from Ange Postecoglou's.

Kudus has a significant history of injuries. During his time at Ajax, he suffered multiple setbacks including a knee injury (Oct 2020 - Feb 2021), an ankle issue (start of 2021-22 season), a fractured rib (Nov 2021 - Feb 2022), and a hamstring problem causing a four-game absence in the following campaign.