Tottenham 'join race' for West Ham star who could be sold for less than release clause this summer

One of West Ham’s key players is reportedly attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League. The Hammers have a big summer ahead of them as Graham Potter looks to put his own stamp on his squad after a tough early spell in charge.

The Englishman has struggled to improve on the difficult start that cost Julen Lopetegui his job, and those struggles continued last weekend when the Irons drew with Bournemouth, making it just two wins in 10 Premier League games.

The West Ham chiefs will put up with that kind of form this season given Potter is working with a squad built for Lopetegui, but there will be pressure aplenty on Potter next season. The Hammers can’t afford to spend another seasons in the doldrums of the bottom half, especially given there is a financial impact to such poor performance.

But before the pressure is ramped up, Potter will get to improve his squad and shape it to his liking. As part of that, there could be a number of departures, and there is already talk of interest in one of West Ham’s most expensive starts.

Mohamed Kudus has had a curious campaign, failing to hit the heights of last season, producing only three goals and as many assists, and his struggles are no secret. Potter has even addressed the forward’s poor form this season, saying: “I think Mo has had probably a bad season that, from his perspective, would be a little bit disappointing, not because of his lack of effort or anything like that, but sometimes these things happen.

“Football can go like that sometimes. You can have a little spell when it doesn’t quite happen for you in front of goal or your final pass just doesn’t quite get there. It doesn’t take much to turn that round. Speaking personally, he’s been great with us in terms of how he’s worked every day, fantastic. He has built his fitness up, built his condition up to the point where he can sustain things a lot better now.”

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Reports in Ghana, Kudus’ home country, and from Ghana Soccernet to be specific, claim Tottenham and Newcastle United are in the race to land Kudus, with Arsenal and Liverpool having been linked in the past.

Kudus is said to have an £80million release clause in his contract with the Hammers, but Football Insider have reported that a lower fee could be considered if the Irons decide that this summer is the right time to cash in. West Ham need to be careful with financial rules as they look to spend again this summer, and they could use a Kudus sale to help fund their spending.

Kudus joined West Ham for around £37million, so there could be a significant profit in the offing if they do cash in, although the top-end fee may be lower on the back of his downturn in form this season. On the flipside, Kudus is only 24 years of age, and while he hasn’t performed for an underperforming Hammers side this season, he has shown what he is capable of last season.

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