Liverpool 'set to trigger' £85m Mohammed Kudus release clause

There are claims today that Liverpool will TRIGGER an £85 million release clause in the contract of West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus this summer. 

A report in Ghana, where Kudus is from, suggests that the Reds are ready to break the bank for the versatile Hammers attacker amid doubts over the long-term future of Mohamed Salah. 

Ghanasoccernet adds that Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all made preliminary enquiries about the 23-year-old but Liverpool are the ones who have initiated contact and negotiations could begin at the end of the season. 

The report also states that incoming Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is a keen admirer of Kudus, having watched him star for Eredivisie side Ajax, and that the Reds had their eye on the forward last summer before he moved to West Ham. 

Kudus moved to the Hammers last summer from Ajax for around £38 million and has had a good first campaign in England. 

He has hit 17 goals in all competitions, delivering seven assists, with seven of those goals coming in 32 Premier League matches. 

One of his strikes has been described as a wonder goal, a sublime individual effort against Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16. 

The Ghanaian earned a formidable reputation in Amsterdam, scoring 27 goals in 87 matches for Ajax before his surprise move to West Ham. He is a versatile left-footer, who can play in numerous positions in attack. 

He has been stationed mostly on the right wing but has also excelled in attacking midfield and centre forward. West Ham have contracted Kudus until 2028, with an option for a further year. 

Respected transfer journalist David Ornstein disclosed recently that there was a release clause in Kudus’s Hammers deal, although no fee was mentioned.

However, a report from Claret & Hugh revealed that any interested parties will have to pay £85 million in order to release Kudus from his West Ham contract. 

The outlet also reports that the release clause was vital in getting a deal for the forward over the line last summer as he insisted on it being inserted, and also revealing that it is a similar fee that West Ham would require for Lucas Paqueta. 

There are undisclosed conditions around the clause, according to the report, with it believed to only become active for a narrow portion of the transfer window.

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique believes Kudus would make a good replacement should the club decide to sell Mohamed Salah. 

"Mohammed Kudus is someone that I think could be a replacement for Salah,” he told Grosvenor Sports last month. "Even last summer, I would have said that, and now, of course, he is playing really well for West Ham.”