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Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he pushed to sign Mohammed Kudus during his time with Brighton and hailed him as an amazing player.
West Ham United brought the 26-year-old right winger to the Premier League from Ajax, beating off stiff competition from several European outfits and Brighton were among his suitors then.
Kudus impressed for the Hammers and in 2025 Tottenham, in order to strengthen their attacking department, went in with a £55m bid to convince West Ham to part ways with the player.
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The Ghana international featured 26 times in all competitions for Spurs last season as he saw his campaign come to an early end with a hamstring injury in January.
This season Kudus has featured twice, coming off the bench in the Premier League, and De Zerbi revealed that the winger is very close to reaching full fitness to start games.
He admitted that during his time as Brighton manager, he pushed the Seagulls’ hierarchy to sign Kudus, but the player ultimately joined West Ham and he is happy to work with him now.
The Italian also highlighted that Kudus brings versatility to his squad and pointed out that he is a player who, despite being a winger, can play as a striker or take up the number 10 role.
| Season | Position |
|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 17th |
| 2024–25 | 17th |
| 2023–24 | 5th |
| 2022–23 | 8th |
| 2021–22 | 4th |
“I think [he is] very close to being ready to start the game”, De Zerbi said at a press conference.
“It’s an amazing thing for me, I wanted Mo Kudus when I was in Brighton.
“I pushed a lot to bring him before he went to West Ham.
“He can play as a winger, as a number 10 and as a striker also.
“He is an amazing player.”
Spurs are winless in their first three Premier League games and they have yet to find the back of the net despite spending heavily in their attacking department this summer.
They will lock horns with David Moyes’ Everton, who are still undefeated in the league, on Saturday at home and De Zerbi will be hoping to get secure three points to get Tottenham’s campaign rolling.
