Chelsea supervisor Graham Potter has entered the heated race to clinch one of many 2022 World Cup’s rising stars, with a wealth of prime outfits .
What’s the phrase?
Driving an detached wave of kind since switching Brighton & Hove Albion for Chelsea earlier this season, Potter has now recognized AFC Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus as a switch goal, with the Ghanaian dynamo impressing on the world stage.
That is in response to a report from Spain (by way of BBC Sport), which declared that Chelsea are among the many likes of Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Actual Madrid in pursuing a transfer for the ace that may see pen strike paper.
The 22-year-old has been a significant cog for his facet in Qatar, threatening from each angle and offering a strong presence that has left his facet inside grasp of a spot within the first knockout section of the match.
Excellent Ziyech inheritor
While stylistically two gamers with completely different talent units, Kudus may undertake the seat that Hakim Ziyech has taken on the Chelsea ship since himself signing from Ajax in 2020.
The place the Blues’ Moroccan playmaker strives to offer inventive auxiliary, looping exact balls into the field and drawing gamers towards him like a magnet, creating area for teammates to drive ahead into fruitful openings, Kudus is a dynamic presence blessed with versatility.
Ziyech has typically struggled to keep up an everyday beginning position in West London, regardless of oozing class and guile in abundance, and Todofichajes report that the 29-year-old is a January goal for Serie A champions AC Milan.
Initially a box-to-box midfielder, Kudus has lately discovered a house greater up the pitch, with an innate knack for putting the again of the web; for his membership this time period, the £12.9m-rated star has recorded ten objectives and two assists in 21 matches, typically flourishing in and across the opposing penalty space.
4 such objectives got here within the Champions League, with a purpose apiece towards Liverpool and Serie A leaders Napoli.
And now efforts have been emulated in Qatar, with the Black Stars one victory away from the following stage.
Positioned on the proper flank, and with two objectives towards South Korea coupling a tenacious show towards Portugal, the “special” Kudus – within the phrases of Owuraku Ampofo – is relishing the possibility to extend his inventory and carry out towards the easiest.
As per Sofascore, the dynamo has recorded 2.0 photographs per match on the World Cup, exactly recording 1.5 heading in the right direction, whereas additionally contributing successfully with defensive duties by making 1.5 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per sport.
He has additionally recorded 2.5 dribbles per outing while plying his commerce for his nation, and might be a driving pressure behind potential qualification to the following spherical.
With a value of roughly £15m, Kudus will doubtless see his inventory skyrocket because the winter switch window looms close to, and Chelsea ought to chunk the bullet and utilise their wealth by signing a sought-after star able to injecting vitality and dynamism into the ranks, consequently swatting away the curiosity of prime European rivals.
And with Potter seeking to reshape the Blues to his design, signing a multi-faceted star like Kudus may show worthwhile, changing Ziyech, seven years his senior, and putting in a participant able to absorbing the tactical mind of his diligent supervisor and thriving with a direct, and constructive method.