West Ham interested in a sneaky Mohammed Kudus replacement | OneFootball

West Ham were among the busiest buyers on the summer 2024 transfer market, but their efforts were largely fruitless. The Hammers have been buried in the bottom half of the Premier League table throughout the 2024/25 season, and after swiftly axing Julen Lopetegui, they will be back to the drawing board in summer 2025 with Graham Potter at the helm.

As has been the case for the last several years, West Ham have the age-old problem of finding a No. 9 who can consistently deliver in front of goal. There will be a number of intriguing options this summer, such as free agent to-be Jonathan David of Lille, but the best options won't be ones West Ham figure to be truly competitive for.

According to a report from Caught Offside's Mark Brus, West Ham are interested in signing Lyon striker Georges Mikautadze, and the 24-year-old is said to be very interested in a move to the London Stadium because of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.

Mohammed Kudus is not consistent enough

While Bowen is the best player on West Ham and clearly not going anywhere, Mikautadze may have to readjust his expectations if he wants to join the Irons because it's more likely he'll be replacing Kudus, rather than working with him.

Kudus is one of the most terrifying players to stop on the ball in the Premier League because of his courage on the ball and dribbling skills, but the explosive forward is severely lacking in consistency and end product.

With gargantuan offers set to come in from Saudi Arabia, Kudus is someone West Ham will likely cash in on, and it would make even more sense for the Hammers to ship Kudus to Saudi than it did for Aston Villa to do the same with the much more productive Jhon Duran this past summer.

Mikautadze is a consistent difference-maker for Lyon whenever he starts. He is averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.1 dribbles completed, and 1.5 fouls drawn per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. He is averaging 0.7 goals per 90 and 0.3 assists per 90 or 1.0 goal contributions to 90, which, adjusted for a 38-game Premier League season, means he would score 27 goals and 11 assists in a full campaign.

Obviously, West Ham shouldn't expect Mikautadze to be that productive, but the Georgian breakout star at Euro 2024 is a quality footballer who has proven himself in France at multiple levels. He can score goals while taking players on and being creative.

So, in a way, Mikautadze would be a cheaper version of Kudus with more of a goal threat, and that's exactly what West Ham are looking for as far as a player who can upgrade what they currently have in attack with Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville, and Bowen.