West Ham already have release clause plan amid transfer interest as Graham Potter clarifies absence

West Ham could get a huge fee for their misfiring forward Mohamed Kudus this summer if they sell to a very specific country. It has been a tough season for the Hammers overall, with Graham Potter struggling to establish any kind of momentum since his arrival in January.

The Irons are not in danger of relegation, but they are currently in 16th and just five points ahead of Wolves after losing to the Midlands strugglers on Tuesday night, continuing their poor form.

Notably, the Hammers did not have star forward Kudus in their squad on Tuesday night, leading to some speculation online, but Potter later confirmed that it was injury-related. He said: “It was difficult; we lost Mo [Kudus] to injury yesterday, and [Jean-Clair] Todibo as well, so we had to readjust quickly. We felt that Luis could help us with his pace if we won the ball back. We just didn't manage to find him enough times.”

Kudus was a sensation in his first season with the club, but like many of his teammates, he has struggled to make an impact this season, scoring just three and assisting only twice in all competitions. But Potter has defended the forward, recently saying: “I think Mo has had probably a 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.”

He added: “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.”

Despite his tough run of form, Kudus has been linked with a move away ahead of the summer, with reports of interest from Europe and Saudi Arabia, with Al Nassr and others reportedly interested in a summer deal.

But according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, West Ham have already protected themselves against interest from the high-paying Saudi Arabian, inserting a specific release clause that applies for clubs from the Middle-East.

Plettenberg tweeted: “Understand that Mohammed #Kudus’ release clause for Saudi clubs is even higher than the £85 million set for European teams. Saudi clubs are interested in Kudus, but at this stage, his main plan is not to move to Saudi Arabia this summer. Enquiries have been made, but nothing is concrete yet. The 24-y/o right winger is now represented by ROOF agency. Contract until 2028. #WHUFC”

The release clause is a smart move from West Ham, with many clubs losing top talent due to interest from Saudi Arabia regularly turning the heads of players due to the high wages they can offer. The release clause means that if Kudus does go, West Ham either have a large amount of control in the negotiations, or they will bag a huge fee if the clause is met.

Having only joined in 2023, Kudus is under contract until 2028 at the London Stadium, and West Ham have an option to extend the deal by a further year.

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