West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady has explained why the club sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham for £55million this summer.
The Ghana winger joined Spurs in July, angering many West Ham supporters who view Tottenham as local rivals.
Brady said the sale was necessary due to Premier League financial rules and the club's need to balance the books. Speaking to talkSPORT, Brady explained:
It's always difficult to lose players that you want to keep. But the financial restraints and the PSR and all the rules and regulations in football mean that you have to do some trading.
That's just the way it is. All clubs are having to do it. You're either restricted on what you can buy because you have to be careful of the financial rules or you have to sell to try and buy. So that was the decision that was made.
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West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady
Brady also revealed that Kudus's form had dropped in his second season at West Ham, making the decision easier. She continued:
[Kudus] didn't have a particularly good season for West Ham last year by his own standards. So we looked to move on.
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Kudus impressed on Spurs EPL debut
The 25-year-old Ghana interntational has started well at Tottenham, providing two assists on his Premier League debut for the club. He’s now the first Spurs player to assist on his Premier League debut since 2017.
Kudus joined West Ham in 2023 and made 80 appearances, scoring 19 goals before his move to north London.
His transfer has been controversial among West Ham fans, particularly because he joined a London rival. Many supporters had hoped to keep the Black Stars player after his impressive first season.
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The sale highlights the financial pressures facing Premier League clubs under Profit and Sustainability Rules, which limit how much teams can spend and often force them to sell key players to comply with regulations.