West Ham sign Ajax star Mohammed Kudus for £38m

West Ham United have completed the signing of Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus from Ajax for a fee of £38 million, plus add-ons. The 23-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months at the London Stadium.

Kudus, who scored a hat-trick in Ajax's Europa League play-off win over Ludogorets on Thursday, said he was delighted to join the Hammers and work under manager David Moyes.

"I'm very happy to be here. It's a big club with great fans and a great history. I'm looking forward to playing in the Premier League and showing what I can do," he told the club's official website.

"I've heard a lot of good things about the manager. He's a very experienced coach who has worked with some of the best players in the world. I'm excited to learn from him and improve my game."

Moyes, who has been looking for a creative midfielder to bolster his squad, said he was impressed by Kudus' versatility and potential.

"He's a young player with a lot of talent and potential. He can play in different positions in midfield and attack. He has good technique, vision and energy. He's also a goalscorer, as he showed in the Europa League," he said.

"He's already an international player for Ghana and he has experience of playing in Europe with Ajax. He's a player who can make a difference for us and we're delighted to have him."

Kudus joined Ajax from Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2020 and scored 27 goals in 87 appearances for the Dutch giants, helping them to two league titles. He also scored seven goals in 24 games for Ghana since making his debut in 2019.

He becomes West Ham's third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Edson Alvarez from Ajax and James Ward-Prowse from Southampton. The Hammers are also close to signing defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart.

West Ham, who finished sixth in the Premier League last season and qualified for the Europa League group stage, will start their new campaign at home against Newcastle United on Sunday.