De Zerbi reveals he pushed to sign Mohammed Kudus for Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he pushed to sign Mohammed Kudus during his time as Brighton & Hove Albion manager.

Kudus was heavily linked with a move to Brighton from Ajax in August 2023, with the two clubs reaching an agreement in principle over a fee of around €40 million (£34.5m).

However, the proposed club-record transfer broke down over personal terms and contract details, allowing the Ghana international to eventually join West Ham United later that month.

Kudus spent two seasons at West Ham before moving to Tottenham, where he is now working under De Zerbi.

Reflecting on his previous attempt to sign the Ghanaian, De Zerbi revealed that he was keen to bring Kudus to Brighton.

“I wanted Mo Kudus when I was in Brighton. I pushed a lot to bring him before he went to West Ham,” De Zerbi said.

The Italian manager believes Kudus’ versatility was one of the qualities that made him such an attractive target.

“He can play as a winger, as a number 10 and as a striker also, and he is an amazing player,” De Zerbi added.

Kudus eventually moved to West Ham after the Brighton deal collapsed and established himself in the Premier League before joining Tottenham.

The 26-year-old has endured a difficult start to life at Spurs because of injuries, but has recently returned to competitive action after a lengthy absence.

De Zerbi will now hope to get the best out of a player he tried to sign three years ago as Kudus continues his recovery and looks to establish himself in the Tottenham team.