Chelsea 'not leading race' for £40m World Cup 'breakout star' | OneFootball

Chelsea are not ‘leading the race’ for Mohammed Kudus despite ‘scouts tracking’ the Ajax star since the season got underway, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Graham Potter, who was appointed as the Blues’ head coach in September, will be handed an opportunity to bolster his Stamford Bridge squad during the January window.

Chelsea transfer news – Mohammed Kudus

According to Spanish sources, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly wants to splash the cash during the early stages of 2023 and Kudus has worked his way onto the club’s shortlist of targets.

The report suggests Liverpool, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also among the 22-year-old’s suitors.

Chelsea scouts were in the stands scouting Kudus when Ghana went head-to-head with Uruguay at the World Cup last week, as per ChelseaFC365.

The Sun have revealed that the attacking midfielder is open to moving to the Premier League and, amid additional interest from Barcelona, Ajax are seeking £40million.

Kudus’ current employers are not in an immediate rush to cash-in on his services as, according to Capology, his Ajax contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2025.

What has Dean Jones said about Kudus?

Jones was not surprised to see Kudus perform well at the World Cup after grabbing the attention of numerous clubs.

However, the journalist understands that the Blues are not in pole position to seal a deal during the fast-approaching January transfer window.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “He was always likely to be a breakout player from this tournament. He’s had scouts tracking him all season.

“From what I know, Chelsea aren’t one of those that are leading the race or anything like that. With Chelsea, specifically, I’m not sure they’re there right now.”

How did Kudus perform at the World Cup?

Kudus started all three of Ghana’s group stage clashes at the World Cup, as per Transfermarkt, and grabbed a brace during the 3-2 win over South Korea.

Sofascore statistics show the Ajax talisman found the back of the net every 125 minutes during his time in Qatar and also contributed defensively, averaging 1.7 tackles and winning possession 1.3 times per game.

Kudus was handed an 8.6 match rating by WhoScored when he got his name on the scoresheet twice against South Korea, meaning he was Ghana’s top performer.

But his impressive performances should not have come as a surprise as, via Transfermarkt, he has scored 10 goals and registered a further two assists in 21 appearances for Ajax this season.