Mohammed Kudus is a Done deal Already as Arsenal set to beat London rivals to the £40m signing – official announcement soon
Mikel Arteta has already strengthened Arsenal’s depth in crucial areas this summer, but there is one final position which needs an addition. Midfield and defence were seen as the key roles which needed boosting with quality and Edu has been able to complete three signings that has resulted in the Gunners fulfilling those requirements.
The departure of Granit Xhaka made it a necessity to complete a deal for a player that can be deployed in the advanced eight role. Despite predominantly playing as a natural striker while at Chelsea, Arteta hatched a plan to play Kai Havertz in a midfield three alongside Martin Odegaard and his summer priority signing.
The main aim heading into the current trading period was to sign Declan Rice from West Ham and that objective was met just before the Gunners flew out to the USA for a pre-season tour. Joining the 24-year-old as a new addition was Jurrien Timber with all three playing against Manchester United in New York over the weekend.
Arteta’s men lost the friendly 2-0 but given all three were faced with undertaking a role they were than perhaps not used to, it could take time for them to gel as a unit. Nonetheless, it has to be said that the signings of Timber, Rice and Havertz place Arsenal high up in the list of teams who have had the best summer transfer windows, but there is still one position that desperately needs a signing.
Bukayo Saka has started every pre-season fixture for Arsenal, which follows perfectly on from the 48 games, not including international appearances, he made in the last campaign. Injuries are yet to severely affect the 21-year-old, but his ability on the ball and danger to opposition defences make him a clear target which resulted in him being one of the most fouled players in the Premier League last season.
Therefore, if major problems do strike or even if Saka just needs a rest, the Gunners must make sure they have an adequate replacement. The main name linked in that position is Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus, although Chelsea are also interested and have recently sounded out Ajax over making a move for the Ghana international, football.london understands.
A summer departure for Kudus appears likely with Ajax demanding an offer in the region of £40million to sanction a sale. His versatility makes him the perfect Arteta signing as he can also provide midfield cover if needed, but his stats while playing on the right-hand side appear to make him a more attractive option in that position.
According to Opta’s ‘Performance Index’ (via Squawka Comparison Matrix), Kudus’ stats from last season were compared to Saka, Real Madrid star Rodrygo and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. When compared to the player he would be competing for a spot with at Emirates Stadium, Kudus ranked higher for goals from both outside and inside the box as well as shots on target, successful long passes, successful duels and more completed take-ons.
On the other side of the coin, Saka had a higher conversion rate, created more chances per 90 minutes and recorded more assists while also comfortably beating Kudus in the attempted crosses category with 4.9 per 90 minutes compared to 0.8.
The similarities arrive with Salah as he and Kudus can barely be separated in most of the important metrics gathered. For example, conversion rates, shot accuracy and shots on target per 90 minutes are all close together as well as chances created, passes attempted and passes completed.
There are of course obvious differences, with Salah scoring better for goals and assists while Kudus comfortably wins on the topic of touches and ball recoveries, showcasing the midfield traits he definitely possesses. However, Arteta signing a target with certain similarities to Salah, who can also be versatile, would put Arsenal in a great place for the 2023/24 season.
