Micky van de Ven lay on the floor and held his head. Richarlison too. And then Pape Sarr got a push in the face. It is fair to say that Mohammed Kudus had a pretty impact on his most recent performance in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The wing player had opened the score earlier in the October derby, but was eventually sent late after a VAR check for his share in a melee, who started with Kudus who repeatedly started the ball against a cases of the Ven. It summarized West Ham's frustrations after they had blown up their advantage to go down 4-1.
Kudus received a ban of five games before the incident. He later admitted that he had “lost his coolness” and was “deeply ashamed” by the events. If Spurs further sign him, there can be a number of interesting first conversations with his former opponents.
However, there will be a very different reaction than the fans who took him off the field that day.
Kudus is an exciting transfer target. Spurs rarely do business with West Ham – the Ghanian would be the first signing of their rivals in 14 years – but Kudus is considered talented enough to make an exception.
Kudus is about to turn 25, would add much needed depth to the wide attacking positions of Spurs and after two seasons in East London is well aware of the demands of the Premier League. With three years to walk on his West Ham contract, it all comes down to a price tag north of £ 50 million.
So what would Spurs get for their money? And how much care should be drop-off of a striking first season?
Dear newcomer, stuttering second season – Will Kudus kick?
Kudus was named the best newcomer to the Premier League by Sky Sports' Gary Neville in the MNF Awards at the end of the 2023/24 season. A purchase of £ 38 million from Ajax looked like a bargain agreement for West Ham, where Kudus scored 14 times about all matches, set nine goals and bring excitement in the London Stadium with his lightning, direct dribbles.
He even won the target price of the club for an electric run through the defense of Freiburg, who started in his own half.
But there were only five goals in all last term. In addition to those at Spurs, his only other goals came home and away against Brighton and Ipswich, with his last strike of the season with just three minutes to play against degraded opposition on Portman Road.
Statistically, it was a disappointing dip of the promise of that first campaign. “There is no doubt that he is a quality player,” said Sky Sports Jamie Carragher in May. “Last season (2023/24) he looked fantastic, he just didn't look on the same player [in 2024/25]. “
However, there are the reserved about the form of West Ham and also the positions that Kudus was asked to play during the 2024/25 season.
The Hammers went from top half finishers and Europa League quarterfinalists among David Moyes to struggle to the 14th with Julen Lopetegui and then Graham Potter who was responsible for the second season of Kudus in London.
Injury problems in the West Ham attack led Kudus to play in four different positions in the first three games of Potter, something he told that Sky Sports was “very difficult”.
After collecting 1,523 minutes Gametime on his favorite right flank in his first season – cut on his favorite left foot to shoot at goal or delivery Jarrod Bowen in central areas – that number fell to 646 minutes in the past term, while Kudus gaps started.
There were even stints in an unknown center-forward role, in which he admitted to struggling with the required physicality and tactical runs.
It seemed that coaching was done to try to play kudus in more dangerous areas – his coincidence count encouraged, while his increased shot included a higher percentage of the efforts closer to the goal. But with his take-on numbers lower, the spark and excitement that Kudus can bring in the attack of West Ham was much more volatile.
The question is how much of this is a natural inconsistency in its game and how much is playing in a West Ham side without liquidity in their attacking game last season? “Sometimes when the team does not function as well as you want, individuals within the team can suffer,” Potter said when he was asked for Kudus in May.
Will a Tottenham team – that ended three places among the hammers but still scored 18 more goals – offer the environment to help kudus fire as he did in that first year in England?
The approach to new Spurs -Baas Thomas Frank will be important. Bryan Mbeumo, a left footer like Kudus, played on the right side of Frank's attack in Brentford, who scored 20 times last season. Can Frank Kudus help to get close to those levels?
The top scorer of Spurs last season, Brennan Johnson, will compete for the same position, just like Dejan Kulusevski, although he was increasingly used in the field by Ange Postecoglou. So Kudus could also be deployed on the left, where he spent many of his minutes in West Ham last season.
Uncertainty about the future of Heung -Min Son, the end of the failed loan from Timo Werner and the relative inexperience of Mikey Moore and Mathys Tel – which can also be used as a center -forward – average traces with an increased threat to that flank. Especially with the requirements of Champions League football that probably needs squadrotation.
Kudus can certainly rediscover his defense-threatening thrust, his trademark when he is on top of his game, and the combination of spectacular strikes and back-post finish, which he demonstrated during his last trip to Tottenham.
That all comes down to a valuable investment for traces, if they can find a figure who convinces West Ham to sell. They will then hope that Kudus will remain in a different way in October in October in October in October when he is the next in N17.