Former England international Alan Smith believes that Arsenal would not be able to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham this summer due to the Declan Rice saga. The Gunners were keen to acquire the services of the playmaker in the summer but opted against making a concrete approach.
Arsenal splashed the cash in the summer, opting to bring in reinforcements in all departments. Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya all arrived, though the signing of Rice from West Ham stole the headlines.
After a lengthy saga which saw Manchester City attempt to hijack the deal, Arsenal eventually struck an agreement worth £105million for the England international. Rice has hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium, slotting into the heart of Mikel Arteta’s side with ease.
The 25-year-old has justified the long-winded negotiations for Arsenal, though ex-Manchester United star Smith believes that his signing may prevent further deals from being struck between the Gunners and West Ham – specifically for Kudus following his electric start to the season.
Speaking to Newbettingsites.co.uk, he explained: “The Rice move was always going to happen but I think West Ham have actually invested well off the back of it with the likes of Edson Alvarez and Kudus coming in. It is just a fact of life in football that you can’t always keep your best players, but it is what you do with the money afterwards that counts.
“Kudus is a great player, there’s no doubt about that. I’ve been really impressed with how he’s adapted to the pace of the Premier League. He hasn’t needed long at all. He always looks like he is going to make things happen.
