Summary
Arsenal will "definitely have a look" at Ajax star Mohammed Kudus this summer if he is "still available", as the Gunners would like to give themselves a "luxury purchase" in August, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Is Mohammed Kudus joining Arsenal this summer?
After a frankly unbelievable season for the Gunners that saw them almost knock Manchester City off of the top spot, only to fall apart at the end, the club have attacked the transfer market with the same fervour.
So far, Mikel Arteta and Co have signed three new first-team players; Kai Havertz for £65m, Jurrien Timber for £34m, and the crown jewel, Declan Rice, for £105m – a new record fee for a British player.
And yet, even after spending around £204m, the north London side look set to continue spending this summer, with one of the latest names linked to the Emirates being Ajax star Kudus.
According to the Daily Mail, once the Gunners have shifted a number of players like Kieran Tierney, Nicolas Pepe and Cedric Soares, they will try to bring the Ghanaian international to the Premier League for a fee of around £40m.
The publication also claims that Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in the player, but the lure of Champions League football and a title challenge make Arsenal the clear favourite here.
What has Dean Jones said about Mohammed Kudus to Arsenal?
Jones was keen to point out that while Arsenal are certainly interested in the 22-year-old, if they are to sign him, it will likely happen next month.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "They would definitely have a look.
"I've talked in the past about how Arsenal would like to give themselves a luxury purchase in August if possible, and Kudus fits the bill. He's a player they don't desperately need but could be so valuable to them in terms of depth and having a strong Plan B when they need it.
"He's an absolute joy to watch and if you are looking for a player worth around that £40million mark I think he is hard to beat. He's got a bit of everything and can go a long way in this game if he has the right guidance."
How good is Mohammed Kudus?
Kudus looks to be an outstanding talent and had an outrageously good season for Ajax last year.
In his 19 starts for the Dutch giants, he scored 11 goals, provided three assists, maintained a passing accuracy of 87.6%, and won three Man-of-the-Match awards, all while keeping a match rating of 7.29, per WhoScored.
His underlying numbers are also fantastic, suggesting that under Arteta's impressive system, he could reach levels even higher than he has already.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 5 foot 9 "monster" sits in the top 1% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, pass completion and successful take-ons, the top 2% for non-penalty goals, the top 4% for touched in the oppositions penalty area, and the top 6% for total shots, all per 90.
He has garnered praise from many within the game, such as former Ghanian international Kevin Prince Boateng, who wrote about Kudus' performances at the World Cup for German outlet Sport1 (vis GeordieBootBoys):
"Mohammed Kudus is the player of the tournament for me so far. He's out of this world. It's amazing what he can do with the ball. It's only a matter of time before he moves from Ajax Amsterdam to a world club."
If Arsenal genuinely are keen on adding a "luxury" signing to the team this summer, Mohammed Kudus looks like he would be perfect.
