The 22-year-old’s brief career is filled with palpable triumphs and sincere motivation for those watching at home, from scoring a stunning brace for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup to a rocket strike at Anfield.
With his reputation developing after three seasons at Ajax, Kudus’s next move may be the most significant of his life. Kudus is a midfield technician, a speed dribbler, and a strong ball striker all wrapped into one. He is a medium-sized (5ft 9in; 177cm), stocky midfielder with endless energy on and off the ball.
He has been incredibly successful for Ajax because of his ability to dominate in a variety of roles with a special combination of toughness and speed. Ajax has been able to use his precise but potent ball-carrying to break through weak points in the opposition’s set-up.
Where has Kudos played in the Ajax team setup?
Since making his Dutch football debut, Kudus has occupied as many as seven different positions, ranging from a deep-lying No. 6 to a full-fledged center-forward, with most of his time devoted out on the right flank rushing the full-back.
Kudus, who grew up idolising Thiago, believes the midfield is where he is at his finest. Erik ten Hag and Alfred Schreuder quickly realised, however, that Kudus’s midfield potential is far more about incision than it is about tempo-setting.
Few players in European football are better at starting counterattacks on their own when they are able to get possession of the ball in deep areas. His verticality is not simply limited to times of change. Kudus is content to straddle the lines and catch the ball higher on the pitch. Kudus will guard the ball, back into the guy, and spin away as long as there is a defender on his back and room in behind to take advantage of.
Kudos’ playing attributes-
In general, Kudus’ excitement and energy result in a slightly erratic but steadily more aggressive offensive style of play. The teenage midfielder had his best productive season of his career last year, scoring 16 goals and assisting on six more for Ajax across three different competitions, including four goals in five Champions League appearances.
Kudus, who often plays with his left foot, favours a strong finish. He constantly makes good contact with the ball and typically shoots high, as seen by his decisive finish against Liverpool. However, Kudus increased his goal total last season with scrappier finishes and improved timing of his dashes into the penalty area to score from close range. In competitive play in 2022–23, he netted five close-range goals using his weaker right foot, compared to only one in each of the preceding two seasons.
Kudus is shooting greater than ever because to his improved finishing diversity. In the Eredivisie last season, he averaged 3.5 shots per game and 7.3 takeaways per 90 minutes, both of which were only surpassed by talented Norwegian winger Osame Sahraoui of SC Heerenveen.
Versatility is what makes Kudos a perfect player to join the Hammers-
Like many large quantities attackers, Kudus occasionally succumbs to his passion. Kudus was the only player with a success percentage of more than 60% out of all the players who attempted more than 100 take-ons last season. But he was also one of just three Eredivisie players to have been forced out of the game more than 60 times.
He sometimes hesitates before making decisions, especially around the penalty area. He can get lost while trying to find space for the shot by cutting inside onto his left foot. Kudus has a unique blend of adaptability and progressive power that is unmatched, therefore it is not unexpected that an increasing number of organisations believe they have a bright future with him.
