The agent of Mohamed Kudus has revealed that her client agreed personal terms with Chelsea over the summer, but a move to Stamford Bridge did not materialise due to the club's "ridiculous offer to Ajax".
The Ghana international's future was the subject of much speculation during the summer window, with a number of clubs said to have expressed an interest in his signature.
West Ham United ultimately secured a deal for the Ghana international, with the Hammers signing him at the end of August on a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £38m.
The 23-year-old has scored twice in eight appearances for David Moyes's side, including one goal in five outings in the Premier League.
Jen Mendelewitsch, who represents the forward, has claimed that personal terms with Chelsea had been agreed, but the London side did not ultimately offer enough money to Ajax.
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"We reached an agreement with Chelsea, we agreed the contract with Chelsea but the deal was not done," Mendelewitsch told RMC Sport.
"He talked with the coach but in the end it didn't happen because Chelsea made a ridiculous offer to Ajax.
"There was no counter offer. Chelsea did this with lots of players this summer, making very low offers to clubs knowing that they would not be accepted.
"The truth is that they were completely focused on the transfer of [Moises] Caicedo which took up all their energy."
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Paris Saint-Germain were also linked with Kudus during the summer market, but Mendelewitsch has said that the French giants ultimately decided against making a move.
"He wanted to leave but there weren't 50,000 clubs that needed a midfielder and could afford him. Obviously we offered his profile to PSG, then it was the club's choice not to move forward," she added.
"Every club has the right to decide that they go to another profile or that it is not their priority."
Arsenal and Manchester United were also among the clubs thought to be keen on Kudus, but neither made an offer for him during the summer market.
The forward scored 27 goals and registered 12 assists in 87 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, while he has scored nine times in 26 outings for his country, including two goals at the 2022 World Cup.
Matt Law
