- EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
West Ham United have no intention in selling either Mohammed Kudus or Edson Alvarez despite interest from Saudi Arabian clubs and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the Premier League duo.
One year after the drawn-out Declan Rice saga hung like a dark cloud over West Ham’s summer window, the London Stadium outfit are once again facing speculation surrounding the future of their key players.
But while The Hammers opted against standing in Rice’s way when Arsenal made a club-record £105 million bid for their Conference League-winning captain, a side now under Julen Lopetegui‘s control have no intention of letting either Mohammed Kudus or Edson Alvarez follow the England international out the door.
Kudus and Alvarez only joined last summer from Ajax, for a combined £73 million.
Kudus, the more expensive of the two at £38 million, is under contract until 2028. So too is Alvarez, both players proving to be successes in a difficult final season under David Moyes.
Interest in West Ham United duo
Only Jarrod Bowen, with 20, scored more than Kudus’ 14 goals. The Ghanaian earned fans’ favourite status following a series of stellar displays and spectacular strikes, such as his overhead kick against Manchester City and his Maradona-esque solo effort against Freiburg.
“I have seen some big changes in Kudus’ play,” former Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan wrote on X. “He is beginning to understand how to move into spaces and receive the ball, and release it at the right time.
“If he continues like this consistently, he will be a world-class player.”
HITC can confirm that Kudus’ sparkling displays have caught the eye of Premier League rivals Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and a Manchester United outfit who recently confirmed that his former Ajax coach Erik ten Hag would be staying on.
There are no indications amongst the top-flight quartet that Kudus is set to become available this summer, however. Kudus is settled in London and West Ham expect to keep him, despite interest from clubs in the deep-pocketed Saudi Pro League.
Atletico Madrid keen on Edson Alvarez
West Ham have adopted a similarly hard-line stance about one-time Chelsea target Alvarez too.
Ten Hag’s Man United have been linked with him too this week. HITC can also confirm that La Liga powerhouses Atletico Madrid enquired about the Mexico captain’s availability in May. But Alvarez appears likely to spend the 2024/25 season in claret-and-blue, West Ham insisting that they have heard nothing from the Red Devils as things stand.
Even if they did, an approach would not be welcomed.
“The two of them (Kudus and Alvarez) have made great contributions already,” Lopetegui’s predecessor David Moyes said in December after a 2-0 win over Freiburg sealed West Ham’s place in the Europa League knock-out stages, via the Daily Mail.
“Mainly Mohammed with goals and Edson with other elements. And the two will get better. The hardest bit to find is the consistency with the intensity of the games.
“They’ve both settled in really well and they’ve done a good job.”
In terms of incomings, West Ham have already snapped up Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme in a £25 million deal from Palmeiras.
The pursuit of Flamengo defender Fabricio Bruno has broken down due to personal terms, however, with HITC reporting that The Hammers have shifted their focus to Wolves’ £50 million-rated skipper Max Kilman.
Kilman played under Lopetegui at Molineux in 2022/23.
The post Sources: How West Ham feel about futures of star duo, Saudi teams and Atletico interested appeared first on HITC.
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