Sport nationWest Ham United’s hopes of signing James McAtee from Manchester City in January have been complicated by the Premier League champions’ interest in the Hammers’ star forward Mohammed Kudus.
According to reports, Manchester City will only sanction McAtee’s exit if they can find a suitable replacement, and Kudus has emerged as a top target for Pep Guardiola’s side. City are reportedly willing to pay a transfer fee of over £66 million for the Ghanaian international.
This development has put West Ham in a difficult position, as they must now decide whether to sell Kudus to Manchester City in order to facilitate the loan signing of McAtee. Kudus has had a below-par season so far, and there have been reports of a rift between him and West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui.
Lopetegui is said to be keen on signing McAtee, who is likely to join on an initial loan with a view to a permanent signing in the summer. However, the final decision on Kudus’ future will rest with the West Ham manager.
West Ham fans are unlikely to want to see Kudus leave the club, especially for a fee below his £85 million release clause, which becomes active in the summer of 2025. However, if Lopetegui and Kudus are not seeing eye-to-eye, a transfer may be sanctioned.
The situation has sparked a lively debate among West Ham fans, with some arguing that the club should prioritize keeping Kudus, while others believe that selling him to Manchester City could be a good opportunity to bring in some much-needed funds and alleviate any potential Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) worries.
Ultimately, the decision on Kudus’ future will rest with Lopetegui and the West Ham hierarchy, and it remains to be seen how this transfer saga will play out in the coming weeks.
Key points:
- West Ham’s hopes of signing James McAtee from Manchester City have been complicated by City’s interest in Mohammed Kudus.
- Manchester City are reportedly willing to pay over £66 million for Kudus.
- West Ham must decide whether to sell Kudus to Manchester City in order to facilitate the loan signing of McAtee.
- Julen Lopetegui is said to be keen on signing McAtee, but the final decision on Kudus’ future will rest with the West Ham manager.
- Kudus’ £85 million release clause becomes active in the summer of 2025.
Sport nation
Amina Umar