Chris Hughton has stated that he believes Mohammed Kudus is still developing, but that David Moyes is the right man to push him onto the next level.
It did not take long for Mohammed Kudus to become a fan favourite in East London – everyone is in disbelief that West Ham even managed to pull off such a brilliant signing. The Ghanaian offers some much needed pace, skill and an eye for goal which has made him a nailed on starter for David Moyes.
Despite being excellent already, he’s far from being in his prime. At just 23-years-old he could still go on to improve further and the finished product could be one of the best players about.
Ghana’s head coach Chris Hughton knows better than most what levels Kudus can reach, and he has declared that Moyes is the perfect manager for him to develop under. “I think that Kudus will be good for David and David will definitely be good for him, and I hope in the end it’s very good for West Ham,” the former Hammer confirmed.
“What Mohammed is, is a talented player. I think what he has got in his game, and I think probably different managers will see it in different ways, is that he is a player who can play in a few different positions. Predominantly for us (Ghana), he is played either in that number ten role or on that right-hand side. Looking at his performances for West Ham, I think that’s the two positions he’s played at,” he told the club’s Official Website.
“His development will depend on any other positions he could play in,” he continued. “Could he play as a number nine? I see him more as a ten or an inverted player on that right-hand side. He has really good ability and is strong.”
“When you look at him he has strong legs, fairly muscular, so he is able to use his body, certainly in tight areas, to manoeuvre past players or get out of tight situations, and of course the asset he has got is he is a player who can score goals.”
Obviously, Kudus is an extremely valuable player to Ghana as well as West Ham, and it is interesting to hear Hughton touch on his adaptability. It is no secret that the club are wanting to bring in a striker in January. With Michail Antonio being in poor form, they have resorted to playing Jarrod Bowen as a striker. However, it begs the question, should Moyes maybe give Kudus a chance up top in the meantime to try and get West Ham’s season moving in the right direction again?
No one seems to be able to praise our star-boy enough, but the fact his national team coach is demanding more from him goes to show what a special player we have on our hands and it’s exciting to imagine how much further he can develop in Claret and Blue.
By Charlie Bass
