"We reached an agreement" - Premier League star's agent claims Chelsea's ridiculous bid saw transfer fall through despite agreeing personal terms
Chelsea made an attempt to sign West Ham United midfielder Mohammed Kudus from Ajax in the summer but failed to get the deal across the line. The player's agent Jen Mendelewitsch has explained that the deal fell through because the Blues submitted a ridiculous bid.
The Blues went on a rampage in the transfer market once again this summer, luring several players to Stamford Bridge. Among their targets was Kudus, who was heavily tipped to complete a swoop to Stamford Bridge following an astonishing outing with Ajax last season. He registered 18 goals and seven assists in 42 games across competitions.
However, things didn't work out as hoped and the player ended up joining West Ham instead in a deal worth £38 million. Speaking to RMC Sport, Mendelewitsch revealed that the Blues reached an agreement with his client but their bid of £17 million was underwhelming to Ajax.
"We reached an agreement with Chelsea, we agreed the contract with Chelsea but the deal was not done," the agent explained.
"He talked with the coach but in the end it didn't happen because Chelsea made a ridiculous offer to Ajax. There was no counter offer. Chelsea did this with lots of players this summer, making very low offers to clubs knowing that they would not be accepted," he added.
Mendelewitsch also revealed that the Blues didn't pay much attention to their interest in Kudus as they were focused on signing Moises Caicedo.
"The truth is that they were completely focused on the transfer of (Moises) Caicedo which took up all their energy," he added.
Eventually, the west London side signed Caicedo from Brighton in a deal worth €116 million. The Ecuadorian midfielder has already made eight appearances for them. Kudus meanwhile, has also played eight games since joining West Ham in the summer, recording two goals to his name.
What's next for Chelsea?
After winning their last three games across all competitions, the Blues will look to continue their winning run when they return to action in the Premier League this weekend. The Blues have a massive clash waiting for them, with Arsenal set to pay them a visit at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 21.
Mauricio Pochettino's men will have a huge work to do to see off their London rivals. They've lost each of their last four games against the Gunners across all fronts and will be viewed as the underdogs heading into the clash.
Should Mauricio Pochettino's men manage to pull off a surprise victory, it'd send a huge statement to other clubs about their resurgence. The west London side are currently 11th in the Premier League table while Arsenal are second.