Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus and Fabrizio Romano has provided a fresh update.
The Ghanaian international joined the Hammers for £38m last summer and has established himself as one of their most important players.
Capable of playing as a number 10 or as a winger on either flank, Kudus has made 32 Premier League appearances so far, scoring seven goals and making two assists in the process.
Reports have claimed that Liverpool are considering triggering the release clause in his contract – believed to be set at £85m.
This is bad news for West Ham, who understandably want to keep hold of him for as long as possible. This is especially important given they could lose Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta this summer, per reports.
Liverpool could lose Mohamed Salah this summer, who is reportedly the subject of a new £100m offer from Saudi side Al-Ittihad.
The official line is that Salah is not for sale and he wants to stay at Anfield for another season, but the Reds may be minded to accept a big offer given his contract will expire in 2025.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, trusted transfer journalist Romano confirmed that the rumours about Kudus having a release clause are true.
However, it isn’t clear at this stage what price is it set at or when it becomes active.
“I think it has to be a really crazy proposal because West Ham, at the moment, are not commenting about this release clause,” Romano said.
“Sources guarantee that a release clause is included in his contract, but it is not guaranteed to start this summer. It’s still a tricky situation.”
Liverpool have a busy summer ahead of them with Arne Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager and several players, potentially including Salah, set to leave.
Kudus undoubtedly has the quality to play a starring role for Liverpool so it will be interesting to see if they firm up their interest with an offer for him in the coming weeks.
As reported by TEAMtalk, fellow Hammers star Bowen may be a more likely addition for the Reds but he too will command a huge fee, with an estimated valuation of £100m.
Whether or not Liverpool splash big money on a new winger will likely depend on whether Salah, or perhaps Luis Diaz is sold, amid his links with an exit.
