Everton are now unlikely to secure the services of transfer target Mohammed Kudus for Frank Lampard’s squad at Goodison Park with “better opportunities” potentially landing for the Ajax and Ghana international, transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested to GiveMeSport.
The 22-year-old is in high demand following a string of impressive showings at the World Cup in Qatar.
Everton transfer news – Mohammed Kudus
According to the Daily Mail, Everton lie amongst both Liverpool and Newcastle United in their admiration for Kudus, with the Ajax star potentially available in the upcoming January transfer window.
Journalist Simon Phillips has recently told GiveMeSport that Lampard is pushing for Farhad Moshiri and the Everton hierarchy to sign a forward at Goodison Park, with the head coach wanting to add to the striker department since the summer window.
The Ghanaian has previously told Star Connect on Joy TV that he was on the verge of signing for the Toffees in the summer after the club were rumoured to be making a £15m play for the forward, stating (via the Liverpool Echo): “I was really close to joining Everton. I thought it was a good project for me and I felt I should try it. It wasn’t like this season was my first (at Ajax), it was my third. So if I’m not getting the progress I’m looking for, then why not try something else?"
And Jones believes that the opportunity to sign Kudus may now have passed Everton by, with the World Cup star having potentially more attractive offers available to him next month.
What has Jones said about Everton and Kudus?
When asked about the potential of Everton signing Kudus, Jones told GiveMeSport: “I don't think they will get Kudus personally. There was a moment when they could have got it done but it sounds to me that it's passed them by, to be honest. I think he's going to have better opportunities landing.”
How did Kudus perform at the World Cup?
Despite Ghana crashing out of the competition at the group stage, the World Cup was an ideal place for Kudus to show the world what he is capable of and earn himself a move to one of Europe’s top leagues this winter.
The £39m-valued Ajax man played in all three of the African side’s fixtures in Qatar, with a goalscoring brace in a 3-2 victory over South Korea the highlight of the youngster’s tournament.
Unsurprisingly, his showings in the Middle East led to the forward-minded player being handed an average WhoScored rating of 7.53 following the side’s exit from the World Cup, ranking him as the nation’s top-performing player on the world’s biggest stage.
Whilst Everton are still rumoured to be in the running for Kudus’ signature in the new year, it now seems that after a string of impressive performances at the World Cup, the Toffees may have to fend off a lot of top-class European competition for his services.
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