With Champions League football now confirmed to be back at the Emirates Stadium next season Edu is getting prepared for the summer transfer window with one man from Ajax on the top of his shopping list this summer.
It’s no secret Arsenal are after two central midfielders come the end of the season with Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho all around the 30-year-old age mark.
Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are two names Arsenal are looking at, with Mikel Arteta desperate to not bring just one of them in, but both of them to the Emirates Stadium in the summer in order to push on next season, and hopefully challenge for the Premier League title again, alongside the Champions League.
Another player Arsenal are keeping a close eye on is Ajax playmaker Mohammed Kudus.
According to David Ornstein, the Ghana international is on the north Londoners’ shortlist of players that they could target at the end of the current campaign. Kudus was named alongside Chelsea’s Mason Mount as a player Mikel Arteta appreciates as a potential number eight in the Spaniard’s 4-3-3 setup.
The 22-year-old has made 26 appearances for Ajax in the Eredivisie this season, scoring 11 goals and recording 2 assists so far this campaign. With the impressive season Kudus has had, Arsenal won’t be the only team keeping a close eye on the player come the end of the season.
Kudus makes a lot of sense as a potential summer arrival at the Emirates Stadium. At just 22 years of age he fits the current transfer strategy Arsenal have employed of the last season of signing talented young players with high ceilings.
He can operate as a false nine, a winger or in a midfield role – the latter of which would likely be his preferred option in Arteta’s system. The Spaniard deploys his left-sided central midfielder in relatively advanced areas, often arriving in the box for cut-backs.
Kudus has been loving life in Amsterdam so far this season, when asked about his future earlier this year, he said:
“I am very happy at Ajax at the moment, but I will be even happier if we win the double. Why wouldn’t I want to renew? I play and develop well. Now it’s about negotiation and valuation.
When the time is right, we’ll see how it goes. But that will have to be conducted with my agent. I want to focus entirely on the title race.”
However if a club from one of Europe’s top five leagues come calling, especially Arsenal, then it’s expected Mohammed Kudus could leave Ajax this summer.
Dutch legend Marco Van Basten on Mohammed Kudus:
“I find Mohammed Kudus a much better football player than Antony.
Antony has his skills, but he is confused with the things he is trying to do! Kudus has much better technique and he knows what he is doing. Antony may be faster, but Kudus is smarter and more technical.
He is much more of a footballer, you can place him anywhere on the pitch, an all-rounder for the team. In fact, I like him much better than Antony. He’s more fun to watch play.”
