Mohammed Kudus has signed for West Ham in a reported £38m deal &#8211; but where will he fit into David Moyes&#8217; plans and what are the ramifications from a fantasy perspective?
The Ghanaian was previously linked with a move to Brighton, among other top European clubs, so could be one to watch in the coming weeks.
Check out our other key summer transfer articles on our dedicated <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/the-transfer-hub">Transfer Hub</a> page &#8211; and see our Ultimate Guide below for all our tips in one handy place.

<a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/join">Join the Hub &#8211; FREE trial and save 50%!</a>  
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">Ultimate Guide to FPL: Everything you need to know</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Mohammed Kudus: The history</h2>
Kudus was a product of Ghana&#8217;s Right to Dream Academy, which he joined at the age of 10.
He is arguably the academy&#8217;s most famous export, with Southampton&#8217;s Kamaldeen Sulemana and Brighton&#8217;s <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/next-brighton-fpl-stars-analysed">Simon Adingra</a> other success stories.
He began his senior career at Nordsjaelland, where he made his debut days after his 18th birthday.
Having scored 14 goals in 57 games in Denmark, he earned a move to Ajax in 2020, where he&#8217;s been since.
According to <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mohammed-kudus/profil/spieler/543499">Transfermarkt</a>, he managed 27 goals and 12 assists in 87 matches for the Dutch club. He scored a hat-trick in his final game &#8211; a Europa Conference League playoff against Ludogrets.
A tactical analysis on West Ham&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whufc.com/news/direct-goal-threat-mohammed-kudus-analysed">website</a> highlighted some enticing statistics, including:
<ul>
<li>The sixth-highest expected goals (xG) per 90 in the Dutch league in 2022/23 &#8211; 0.6</li>
<li>The eighth-most shots per 90 (3.19) of forwards playing 1,000 minutes or more</li>
<li>A 39.1% of shots on target &#8211; better than Bukayo Saka and Bruno Fernandes</li>
<li>5.91 dribbles per 90 &#8211; more than Jack Grealish (5.7) and Luis Diaz (5.35)</li>
<li>0.6 key passes per 90</li>
</ul>
The analysis also pointed out his ability to draw fouls, with his opponents conceding 1.89 free-kicks per 90 when tackling him. This could be good news for owners of James Ward-Prowse.
The 23-year-old has seven goals for his country, including two against South Korea at the Qatar World Cup last year.
<div class="epyt-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" id="_ytid_22515" width="1080" height="608" data-origwidth="1080" data-origheight="608" data-relstop="1" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vrl_I85CnRQ?enablejsapi=1&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&" class="__youtube_prefs__ no-lazyload" title="YouTube player" allow="fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy="1" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=""></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
<h2>Where will Kudus fit in at West Ham?</h2>
Kudus is an attacking midfielder who can play in a variety of positions.
His senior career has been split fairly equally between central midfield, playing off the right and as a centre-forward, according to <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/mohammed-kudus/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/543499">Transfermarkt</a> data, although the deeper roles largely came earlier in his career.
That versatility will no doubt help his chances of becoming a regular fixture in David Moyes&#8217; team, however the competition in his main positions adds a layer of intrigue to what Kudus&#8217; new manager has planned.
Jarrod Bowen typically plays off the right, while Lucas Paqueta is usually the Hammers&#8217; central attacking midfielder.
Up front, Michail Antonio has started the season well, scoring two goals, but he has been linked with a move away from the club.
A deeper midfield role is a possible but unlikely option for Kudus. New Hammers signings Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez are the more natural fits there.
It would also limit Kudus&#8217; attacking talents. <a href="https://theathletic.com/4803468/2023/08/27/mohammed-kudus-west-ham-united-transfer-ajax/">The Athletic</a> explained he was mainly fielded there in his Nordsjaelland days because he &#8216;needed to be taught that he must work defensively&#8217; but even then, he was more of a box-to-box player.
<div id="attachment_50035" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50035" class="size-full wp-image-50035" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mohammed-Kudus.-Picture-by-Getty-Images..jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mohammed-Kudus.-Picture-by-Getty-Images..jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mohammed-Kudus.-Picture-by-Getty-Images.-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mohammed-Kudus.-Picture-by-Getty-Images.-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Mohammed-Kudus.-Picture-by-Getty-Images.-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Mohammed Kudus. Picture by Getty Images</div>
&nbsp;
<h3>Bowen at centre-forward?</h3>
Bowen could be shifted to the left to accommodate Kudus on the right and Paqueta in the middle &#8211; but does Moyes have a different plan for the Englishman?
He has spoken of using Bowen up front on more than one occasion, mostly recently earlier this month after the Bournemouth game. He said:
<blockquote>“Jarrod is becoming our major goalscorer. There’s a lot of talk about needing to buy a centre-forward but I’m going to see if Jarrod could do the job.
“He’s got the instincts and the sharpness. Hull played him at centre-forward so it’s not me trying to be a genius.”</blockquote>
Kudus could end up as the central striker himself , should Moyes decide against using Bowen up front.
But a further complication could be Youssef En-Nesyri of Sevilla, a striker who West Ham have been repeatedly linked to this summer.
<h3>Paqueta allegations</h3>
There have been widespread reports claiming Paqueta is being investigated over alleged breaches of FA betting rules. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The Brazilian has been a central figure in the Hammers team since joining and is unlikely to be displaced from Moyes&#8217; plans unless he faces a ban.
His central attacking midfield position could be filled by Kudus if Moyes shifts him to the left, as he did against Brighton in Gameweek 3. This would impact Said Benrahma&#8217;s minutes.
<div id="attachment_57551" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-57551" class="size-full wp-image-57551" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West-Ham-players.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West-Ham-players.jpg 900w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West-Ham-players-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West-Ham-players-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/West-Ham-players-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The impact on the West Ham team as a whole is the most intriguing element of the Kudus signing</div>
&nbsp;
<h2>What are Kudus&#8217; FPL prospects?</h2>
Kudus has been priced at £6.5m and could be thrust into the action as soon as Friday, when West Ham face Luton.
A role from the bench seems more likely than a start however, as Moyes gradually introduces his new man used to the Premier League.
It is therefore sensible to wait and see how Kudus fits into the Hammers team before investing in him in FPL.
His signing could make Bowen the more attractive pick, should he be fielded as the main striker. He is listed as a £7.0m midfielder.
There are no shortage of options in midfield in and around Kudus&#8217; price point, including Moussa Diaby (£6.6m), who has started his Aston Villa career with two goals and an assist in three games.
But Kudus could easily put himself into the equation in a similar amount of time.
West Ham face Manchester City and Liverpool in Gameweek 5 and 6 &#8211; but the fixtures largely turn from Gameweek 7, when they host Sheffield United.
Gameweek 10 &#8211; avoiding Newcastle and Villa fixtures &#8211; could also be a viable point to consider Hammers players.
<div id="attachment_57552" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-57552" class="size-full wp-image-57552" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Budget-mids-2.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="731" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Budget-mids-2.jpg 900w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Budget-mids-2-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Budget-mids-2-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Budget-mids-2-610x495.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kudus has lots of competition at his price point</div>
<div class="mceTemp"></div>
&nbsp;
<h2>Kudus&#8217; Sky, Telegraph and Dream Team stats</h2>
Sky awards bonus points for certain levels of successful passes, tackles, shots and saves.
Attacking players rarely reach the levels required for passing bonus, however shots and occasionally tackle bonuses are within reach.
Telegraph likewise awards bonus for tackles, however this is only for midfielders.
Dream Team&#8217;s new <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/how-to-play-dream-team-fantasy-football-2">scoring system</a> sees players score points and bonus for a variety of different factors &#8211; see our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/how-to-play-dream-team-fantasy-football-2">how to play Dream Team article</a> for more information.
According to <a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Players/400166/Show/Mohammed-Kudus">WhoScored</a>, Kudus averaged an unremarkable 0.8 tackles per game in the Eredivisie last season, while passing were well short of Sky bonus levels &#8211; as expected for a player in his position.
He does like a shot though, as pointed out in West Ham&#8217;s analysis piece. <a href="https://fbref.com/en/comps/23/2022-2023/shooting/2022-2023-Eredivisie-Stats">FBref.com</a> records his shots on target per 90 in last season&#8217;s Eredivisie as 1.36.
His goals and assists are likely to be the key factor, as in FPL, with the same caveats applying in terms of waiting to see how he fits into his new team.
<h2>We have all the main Premier League fantasy football games covered…</h2>
Be it <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">FPL</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/sky-fantasy-football-tips">Sky Fantasy</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/dream-team-fantasy-football-tips-the-ultimate-guide" aria-label="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/dream-team-fantasy-football-tips-the-ultimate-guide/">Dream Team</a> or <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/telegraph-fantasy-football-tips-the-ultimate-guide">Telegraph Fantasy</a>, we have all the very best fantasy football tips, advice, tools and everything else you could wish for to become a better fantasy football manager and dominate your mini-leagues.

<h3>Follow the Hub</h3>
<a href="https://twitter.com/FFH_HQ">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ffootballhub/">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/FantasyFootballHub/?sub_confirmation=1">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/FFH_HQ/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ffh_hq">Tiktok</a> 
And view all our latest fantasy football tips on our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/" aria-label="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/">Homepage</a>

Mohammed Kudus: How he will fit in at West Ham and fantasy prospects

Save your FPL Season

Community & tools

Fixture ticker