"As soon as Ten Hag knocks on his door, he will go" - Pundit makes interesting claim about Manchester United target linked with Chelsea move
Dutch football journalist ️Marcel van der Kraan reckons Mohammed Kudus will ignore Chelsea's advances if manager Erik ten Hag shows interest in adding him to his Manchester United squad.
Kudus has been linked with a move away from Ajax this summer, with Chelsea said to be the frontrunners. Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion have also reportedly shown interest in his services.
Apart from the aforementioned clubs, Kudus has been regularly linked with a move to Manchester United, where his former Ajax manager Ten Hag is the head coach. Hence, Van der Kraan believes, Kudus could be persuaded to join the Red Devils should the Dutch coach show interest in a potential transfer.
“Kudus, who is in a training camp with Ajax in the south of Germany near Munich has made it clear to his club ‘I want to leave’. Now when there's a player says he wants to leave, (it is) usually when he's got something else lined up,” Van der Kraan told Football Daily.
“And he is very keen on a move to the Premier League, whether that would be the top club in London or in Manchester. But I think, as soon as (Erik) ten Hag will knock on his door, he will go,” he added.
“He's been absolutely brilliant for him” - Pundit says Mohammed Kudus will do well at Manchester United
Ajax paid €9 million to sign Mohammed Kudus from Nordsjaelland in 2020. He has established himself as a key player for the Eredivisie giants since then, scoring 23 goals and producing 11 assists in 84 appearances across competitions.
Van der Kraan has said that Kudus' versatility could be an asset to any team he joins. He opines that while the 22-year-old is on the list of transfer targets at Manchester United, the Red Devils will only make a move for him should they fail to sign their first-choice players.
“Kudus is a really interesting player as far as midfield or striker wise, he can play both. And I think this is why he's on the horizon, he’s on that list. He may not be the number one yet but if any of the (first-choice) players fail to come or if the talks break down, Judas could be an ideal option,” he opined.
Van der Kraan also added that Kudus and Ten Hag had a successful working relationship before, which could translate to the Premier League, too.
“He has been the most entertaining, most aggressive forward Ajax had last year. They didn't have a great season, but he has been the only hope for the Ajax fans to rise the club again.
"We all know that since ten Hag left and they had a very fruitful time before. He's been absolutely brilliant for him, and, I think, this is why he would be absolutely a real asset,” he opined.
The Ghana international played 42 times under Manchester United boss Ten Hag at Ajax, of which 29 came as a substitute, scoring five goals and picking up four assists.