Mohammed Kudus is a player whom Julen Lopetegui can build his new West Ham United team around, according to Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
Neville, speaking alongside Dave Jones and Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football, picked Kudus as the best newcomer in the Premier League this season.
The attacker has scored 13 goals in all competitions during his first season for the Hammers, including seven in the Premier League, making him almost undroppable at the London Stadium.
Jones asked Neville, “So when you’re Julen Lopetegui coming in, are you looking at Kudus and thinking ‘here’s someone I can build around?”
Neville replied: “Yeah, if they can keep him, absolutely.”
### Will West Ham Keep Mohammed Kudus This Summer?
West Ham are set to undergo significant changes this summer, with incoming manager Lopetegui replacing David Moyes and aiming to advance the Irons next season.
With several players out of contract and others in high demand, including Kudus, the squad could look very different on the first day of the new campaign.
Kudus, who has scored seven goals in 32 Premier League matches this season, is one of the key players whose future at the club is uncertain. Lucas Paqueta is also tipped to depart, with a move to Manchester City rumored, and links to wide forwards such as Jota Silva and Wesley Gassova suggest that Lopetegui is preparing for life without Kudus or fellow winger Jarrod Bowen.
Despite the speculation, Kudus is only one season into a five-year contract at the London Stadium. With no pressing need to sell, West Ham might be able to fend off bids for Kudus over the next few months.
Kudus’ immediate impact has been rare and impressive, and as Lopetegui looks to improve on a mixed season in East London, he will likely aim to make the 23-year-old a central part of his plans for next season.