Chelsea are reportedly preparing a bid to derail Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus by proposing innovative player-plus-cash packages to the London Stadium hierarchy. The Blues, buoyed by a flurry of summer signings—including Liam Delap, Estevão Willian, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez—have already secured deals for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe‑Gittens (for around £55 million) and Brighton’s João Pedro (approximately £60 million) and see Kudus as their next marquee target.
Tottenham shifted their attention to the 24‑year‑old Ghana international after failing to land Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, and the attacker’s £85 million release clause looms large. West Ham, however, are understood not to be holding out strictly for that full amount. “They are reportedly willing to listen to ‘reasonable offers,’” suggesting Chelsea could negotiate a significant discount on the clause figure and tempt the Hammers into talks without triggering the full payment.
Insiders at West Ham have so far rebuffed earlier swap proposals, indicating that none of the names tabled matched their requirements. Nonetheless, Chelsea believe that interest in fringe squad members could shift the balance. Reports name Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Armando Broja as “obvious candidates” to be included in any outgoing business. Christopher Nkunku and João Felix could also be made available, while goalkeeper Djordje Petrović’s exclusion from the Club World Cup squad casts further doubt over his Stamford Bridge future.
With more than a month remaining in the transfer window, Chelsea’s willingness to combine cash with squad players could yet see them hijack Tottenham’s move for Kudus—dealing a bitter blow to their north London rivals and handing Mauricio Pochettino’s side a fresh headache in their own recruitment drive.
