Chelsea are "ahead" in the race to sign Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus this summer as they enter pole position for his signing, according to reports.
Who will Chelsea sign?
Mauricio Pochettino is in full preparation for his first full campaign as Chelsea boss, which will mark the beginning of an interesting era after they swayed Tottenham's former fan favourite into joining.
The west Londoners will be eager to past last campaign behind them, as the club went through a trio of managers in Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard without even mustering a top half finish.
Chelsea also lacked serious firepower in the final third, with relegated duo Leicester City and Leeds United among the many sides to have scored more goals than them by the end of 2022/2023.
It is imperative for Todd Boehly and co to strengthen Chelsea's ranks ahead of Pochettino's debut season, and they've done that in parts, having sealed deals for attacking pair Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.
Chelsea have also trimmed the squad of unwanted players, with N'Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, Ethan Ampadu and Cesar Azpilicueta moving elsewhere.
Earlier this month, Pochettino appeared to promise more signings this summer window – complimenting his "unbelievable" squad as they search for more stars to strengthen it further.
"If we are all together, we are going to be very strong," said Pochettino.
"We have an unbelievable squad and for sure are going to bring players with commitment who want to be part of it also. With the fans and everyone, we can find again the way to be successful.”
Of the players who could come in, Chelsea are still locked in talks to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton, but after having their latest marquee bid rejected, they're finding a deal increasingly difficult.
Kudus, who starred for Ajax in the Eredivisie last season, is a player attracting their serious interest as well.
According to The Independent and journalist Miguel Delaney, Chelsea are "leading the race" to sign him as they enter pole position ahead of Arsenal for the Ghana international.
This is because the Blues have managed to put together a more convincing financial package than Mikel Arteta's side, and there is a feeling Chelsea can price them out of a deal for Kudus.
Arsenal need to sell before they can formally move, while Chelsea have already trimmed a bloated squad, meaning Pochettino can realistically add both Kudus and Caicedo to Pochettino's squad.
How good is Mohammed Kudus?
The 22-year-old racked up 11 goals and three assists in 30 Dutch top flight outings last campaign, all the while completing more successful take-ons than any current Ajax player (WhoScored).
Kudus also dazzled for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with former Black Stars midfielder Derek Boateng telling Sky Sports just how much the forward is revered in his homeland.
"Kudus is massive here," said Boateng.
"Every time he is playing, it does not matter whether it is the Champions League or a friendly match, you will see all the kids get up and watch Kudus. Just Kudus.
“They just want him to score. When he scores, everyone is all over the place.”
