‘Much better than Antony’ - Kudus would be a brilliant Arsenal signing
Sam McGuire
- 2 Aug 2023 19:00 BST
- 5 min read
Arsenal may have already spent the best part of €200 million this summer but if reports are to be believed, they aren’t done in this transfer window just yet.
The 2022/23 Premier League runners-up have added Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz to their squad, bolstering key departments as they look to mount another title challenge.
David Raya could soon be signed to rival Aaron Ramsdale for the position of first-choice goalkeeper while Arsenal are also reportedly weighing up a move for a player who they could rotate with Bukayo Saka.
READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
Mohammed Kudus is believed to be a target for the Gunners and Chelsea’s interest in the 22-year-old could speed a move up.
In an exclusive last week, we revealed that the Ajax attacker would prefer a move to the Emirates over Stamford Bridge due to the fact Champions League football is on offer. Ben Jacobs, a journalist for CBS and a number of other outlets, claimed Arsenal have already made contact with the player.
Fabrizio Romano contradicted this, saying: “There is an interest, but I think for Arsenal now, the priority is to get rid of some players. They signed many players, many important players, at the beginning of the summer transfer window. So, it’s important now to focus on the outgoings and then we will see.”
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Arsenal probably do need to shed some players before making any other moves. Given the interest in Folarin Balogun, his departure could effectively fund a move for Kudus. It would be shrewd business.
The Ajax man has been linked with moves away from the Amsterdam Arena for quite some time now. At one stage, he was a target for Everton before Manchester United and Liverpool showed an interest in him following a fine run of form for Ajax. He finished the 2022/23 campaign with 18 goals across all competitions. For a bit of context here, in the four seasons prior to that, he had found the back of the net on just 19 occasions.
He really scaled his game last term.
Dutch legend Marco Van Basten heaped a lot of praise onto the youngster when speaking to Ziggo Sport.
He said: “I find Mohammed Kudus a much better football player than Antony. Antony has his skills, but he is confused with the things he is trying to do!
“Kudus has much better technique and he knows what he is doing. Antony may be faster, but Kudus is smarter and more technical. He is much more of a footballer, you can place him anywhere on the pitch, an all-rounder for the team. In fact, I like him much better than Antony. He's more fun to watch play.”
This sounds like exactly the sort of player who would be on Mikel Arteta’s radar, doesn’t it?
The Arsenal manager loves a versatile player and he loves the fluidity these players bring to the team. He wants the technical floor of this team to be one of the highest in the league so adding efficient players like Kudus to his squad does some way to ensure that is the case.
Kudus played as a left-winger for Ajax, as a centre-forward and even in midfield on occasion. While his role may differ, his performance levels are fairly consistent. He’s tidy in possession, finding a teammate with 85% of his passes. He can effortlessly beat players and, per FBref, he averaged almost 4.6 successful take-ons per 90 last year. Kudus is a goal threat too with an Expected Goals per 90 average of 0.58.
Saka finished the 2022/23 campaign with 14 goals and 11 assists. However, his form was a little patchy towards the end of the season and this could’ve been because he was overplayed. He managed just two goals and an assist in the final 10 Premier League games. Arsenal won just four of those matches and their title challenge really came to a halt during this period.
Arteta had to continue to play the England international though as he didn’t have any real cover for him. Signing Kudus would allow Arsenal to manage Saka’s minutes a little better. He wouldn’t come in as an understudy to the No.7 though. His versatility means he can fill in for Gabriel Jesus as a false-nine. He could even rotate with Martin Odegaard as the right-sided midfielder in the three.
His signing might not be the biggest of the summer for the Gunners but it could turn out to be one of the best moves they make.
