West Ham have completed the signing of Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus in a deal worth at least £38m.
The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in Ajax’s Europa League play-off win over Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Thursday.
“I’ve been dreaming to play in a league like this since I was a kid,” said Kudus, as West Ham confirmed his Premier League arrival.
“I’m so happy to be here. But it doesn’t stop here, I want to keep going. I can’t wait to get started.”
He will cost 44.5m euros plus add-ons and is relishing the prospect of elite-level football in England.
“I try my best to entertain the fans as I think that’s what football is all about,” Kudus said.
Brighton were understood to have reached an agreement with Ajax for Kudus earlier this month, but they were unable to finalise personal terms.
Kudus started his professional career at Danish side Nordsjaelland in 2018, before joining Ajax in 2020 where he has scored 27 goals in 87 appearances, helping his side to two Dutch league titles.
He scored 11 goals in 30 Eredivisie appearances last season as Ajax finished third.
For Ghana, Kudus has scored seven goals in 24 games since making his debut in 2019 and started all three matches for his side at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over South Korea.
He is West Ham manager David Moyes’ second recruit from Ajax this summer following the arrival of fellow midfielder Edson Alvarez in a deal thought to be worth about £35m.
West Ham also signed midfielder James Ward-Prowse from Southampton and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart earlier this month.