Real Madrid are reportedly ready to go head-to-head with Manchester United for the signature of Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus.
The 22-year-old, who briefly plied his trade under current Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax, has been tipped to reunite with the Dutchman amid a stellar campaign in the Netherlands.
Kudus has struck 18 goals and set up five more in 35 games for the Eredivisie champions in all tournaments, scoring in six of their last eight Eredivisie contests.
Demonstrating his versatility throughout the campaign, Kudus has predominantly played as a right-winger for the past few weeks but has also featured as a number 10 and centre-forward during the current season.
Also catching the eye for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup, Kudus started in all three of his nation's group matches and scored a brace in a 3-2 win over South Korea.
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Ajax have the former Nordsjaelland attacker under contract until the end of the 2024-25 season, but Man United are expected to test the Amsterdam giants' resolve with a summer bid.
However, Defensa Central now reports that Real Madrid have also identified Kudus as an ideal low-cost signing this summer, having kept an eye on his development for a number of years.
Los Blancos supposedly first scouted Kudus during his time at Danish side Nordsjaelland, where he spent two years before making the move to Ajax in the summer of 2020.
Chief scout Juni Calafat is understood to have sent a number of glowing reports back to base about Kudus, whom he views as a player with great potential.
Ajax will likely try to tie Kudus down to fresh terms beyond the summer of 2025, though, and the report adds that AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund have also taken a liking to the attacker.
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The Ghana international has a total of 23 goals and nine assists to show from 77 outings in an Ajax jersey since 2020, winning two Eredivisie titles and one KNVB Beker in the Dutch capital so far.
Real Madrid are running the risk of losing all of Karim Benzema, Mariano Diaz and Marco Asensio on free transfers this summer, but the former is expected to stay on for at least another year.
However, Mariano will likely be allowed to depart as a free agent amid his continued struggles for first-team minutes, while Asensio's future remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The 27-year-old has fallen behind Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in the Santiago Bernabeu pecking order and could also be on the way out in search of more regular game time.
A shock move to Barcelona has been mooted for Asensio, who is also thought to have been offered to numerous Premier League clubs.
Ben Knapton
