Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Tuesday's focus is on reported Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund target Mohammed Kudus..
- Age: 25
- Position: Forward
- Club: Ajax
- Country: Ghana
Several attackers have made the jump from the Eredivisie to the Premier League this season. Manchester United's Antony was the most expensive of the lot, Luis Sinisterra, Cody Gakpo and most recently, Noni Madueke have all followed the Brazil international.
The next player who could soon be a hot property is Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus. The Ghana international has eight goals and one assist in the Eredivisie this season and continues to impress at the age of 22.
Kudus has struggled previously for minutes due to injuries and lack of a clear role in the Ajax side for him, last season he had just one goal and one assist. Fast forward to this season, however, and he is in a far better situation.
Kudus' eight goals this season have come an xG of 7.13 according to Infogol, which points to a consistency in his scoring and not a great deal of over/under performance in his numbers.
A smaller sample size of just over 1000 minutes does affect his metrics slightly, however, his underlying figures remain hugely impressive.
He has averaged 3.41 shots per95 in the Eredivisie, consistently finding himself in good positions in the box, as evidenced by his excellent xG of 0.64 per95. When given the freedom of the final third to exploit opposition spaces, Kudus is able to threaten defences in several ways.
He is a versatile attacker who prefers to play just behind the striker in the number ten role. For Ajax, of late, he has been playing off the right flank which helps him invert onto his left foot to either find his team-mates in dangerous areas or test the keeper himself.
In the UEFA Champions League group stage, Kudus produced some exceptional moments, all in all, scoring four and assisting three, though his efforts weren't enough to help Ajax progress from the group stages.
KUDUS! 🚀@AFCAjax || #UCL pic.twitter.com/4XlTjVjo71
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 16, 2022
On the domestic front, it has not been smooth sailing for the club as they are currently involved in a four-horse race for the Eredivisie title.
Kudus has previously worked with current Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and it was the Dutchman who brought him to Ajax from FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark.
A reunion could potentially happen over the summer with United known to have strong interest in Kudus. The Ghana international could be an ideal long-term replacement for Bruno Fernandes and will prove to be a value acquisition for the club.
