Leeds United are keen on a deal to bring Mohammed Kudus to Elland Road this summer.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by Ghanasoccernet.com, who claim that, despite Everton making contact with Ajax in order to officially express their interest in signing the central midfielder, Leeds, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City are also believed to be keeping an eye on the situation of the 22-year-old ahead of potentially launching a move of their own in the coming days.
The report goes on to state that the Ghana international is keen to seal a move away from the Johan Cruijff ArenA prior to Thursday's transfer deadline in a bid to secure more regular game time, although the Eredivisie side may only be willing to allow the playmaker to leave the club on a loan deal - despite reportedly slapping a €12m (£10m) asking price on the midfielder.
"Incredible" signing
Considering the sheer amount of potential Kudus quite clearly possesses, it is not surprising to learn that a number of Premier League clubs - Leeds included - would be interested in a move to bring the 22-year-old to England in the coming days.
Despite the £9m-rated talent missing a great deal of Ajax's 2021/22 campaign due to an ankle injury and a fractured rib - with the midfielder featuring in just 16 league fixtures last time out - Kudus nevertheless proved in the season prior exactly why the Dutch champions paid FC Nordsjaelland €9m (£7.5m) to secure his services in the summer of 2020.
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Indeed, over his 17 Eredivisie appearances - only eight of which came as starts - in 2020/21, the £14k-per-week Ghanaian immediately caught the eye for De Godenzonen, scoring four goals and providing three assists, in addition to taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per fixture.
The 22-year-old also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, completing an average of 29.7 passes - at a success rate of 91% - making 1.4 tackles, 0.4 interceptions and winning 4.3 duels per game.
These returns saw the player who Erik ten Hag dubbed "incredible" and Owuraku Ampofo dubbed "special" average a respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.81 - a rating which, should he have achieved at Leeds last season, would have ranked him as Jesse Marsch's eighth-best performer in the Premier League.
Furthermore, with Kudus being able to operate from a variety of different positions in both midfield and attack - with the 16-cap international having been deployed from defensive, central and attacking midfield, as well as on the right wing and as a centre-forward over the course of his career - the 22-year-old is quite clearly an extremely useful player to be able to call upon.
As such, while it would appear as if Everton are the side currently leading the race for the Ajax starlet, should Orta manage to steal the midfielder away from Frank Lampard's grasp in the coming days, it would indeed appear as if the Spaniard will have sealed an incredible signing in the 22-year-old.