Three players who could replace £38m West Ham star linked with summer move to Saudi Arabia

03/30/2025 01:38 AM

Saudi Arabia aren’t giving up on signing West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus and could return for the Ghanian in the summer.

Reports from the English media claim the Saudi Pro League (SPL) giants Al Nassr are preparing a mouth-watering bid worth around £84 million for Kudus.

They tried luring him to the Middle East in January, but West Ham were reluctant to part ways with the former Ajax star.

However, if the reports prove to be true, the Hammers would be silly not to cash in on Kudus this summer, considering his influence has waned this season.

Kudus arrived in East London with plenty of promise.

His debut campaign was a huge success as he returned 18 goals and seven assists in 48 games, leading many to believe the Hammers had captured a gem at a bargain.

However, he has been a shadow of himself this season, notching just three goals and two assists in 27 games across all competitions.

Since scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion in December, Kudus has gone 13 games without a goal, and his rapid decline has been awful to watch.

If the Saudis are willing to table £84m to lure him to the Middle East, West Ham would be foolish not to take the cash and run with it.

Rather than clinging onto a player whose best days at the club may already be behind him, here are three cost-effective names the Hammers should target if Kudus gets his big-money exit this summer.

James McAtee – Manchester City

James McAtee has been highly rated at Manchester City for years, but breaking into Pep Guardiola's first team is a challenge that few manage.

The 21-year-old has had loan spells at Sheffield United, showing glimpses of his immense talent, but he needs regular minutes to fully develop.

West Ham could be the perfect destination.

McAtee thrives as an attacking midfielder who can glide past defenders, pick out key passes, and chip in with crucial goals.

He might not have Kudus' physicality, but his technical ability and vision make him an exciting prospect. The fact that he has struggled for consistent game time at City makes a move away increasingly likely.

Signing McAtee would be a statement of intent for West Ham as they’d be investing in a young, home-grown talent who could develop into a top-tier Premier League midfielder.

McAtee has scored six times in 21 games for Man City this season.

He’s wanted by some of the top clubs in Europe, but West Ham should be pulling out all the stops to make sure he ends up in East London.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – Chelsea

While McAtee offers technical brilliance, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall brings grit, tenacity, and a relentless engine.

The English midfielder has struggled to establish himself at Chelsea after a £50m move from Leicester City last summer and is one of several players that could be axed from Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

There’s a decent chance Dewsbury-Hall could be available at a discount, and West Ham should be looking to pounce.

He may not have gotten a chance to excel at Chelsea, but his Leicester days suggest he’s a player who can do it all.

He presses aggressively, wins back possession, and drives forward with purpose. He also has the ability to affect play in the final third and contribute with goals and assists.

He’s exactly the kind of profile West Ham are lacking in midfield.

A deal in the region of £30-35m would be reasonable, and for that price, West Ham would be getting a player capable of leading their midfield for years to come.

Dilane Bakwa – RC Strasbourg

If West Ham are looking to add more firepower to their attacking ranks, then they should be looking at RC Strasbourg forward Dilane Bakwa.

The 22-year-old French winger has been electric for Strasbourg this season, terrorising defences with his pace, dribbling, and eye for goal.

Bakwa is naturally a winger, but he has been deployed as a right wing-back by Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior.

Nevertheless, he has returned four goals and eight assists in 23 Ligue 1 games while creating 10 big chances and averaging 1.7 key passes per 90 minutes.

West Ham have lacked width and unpredictability in attack, and Bakwa would bring exactly that.

He can stretch defences, force full-backs into uncomfortable situations, and create chances out of nothing.

He's the kind of explosive talent who can change games in an instant.

Bakwa is valued at just £15m on Transfermarkt and could be an exciting addition to the Hammers frontline.