Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed that he has been following the career of West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus for several years.

The Italian would not be drawn on rumours linking the Ghanaian international with a move to Stamford Bridge, but he did admit that the player has caught his attention:

“Mohammed is a West Ham player, he is not our player so I can’t say nothing. Only thing I can say is I know Kudus since Ajax.”

Kudus’s £85m release clause is currently active, but teams only have until July 15th to trigger it.

West Ham want a bidding war as 2 rivals fight it out over Kudus

A bid of around £65m is likely to be accepted by the Hammers, but the hope is that more than one club will make a concerted effort to buy the 24-year-old, which should lead to a higher fee being received.

Up until now, Tottenham are said to have made the most progress, having had lengthy discussions with Kudus’s agent.

However, Chelsea are also in the mix. TEAMtalk suggest a “hijack” from the Blues is a genuine possibility, citing a claim from journalist Simon Phillips that Enzo Maresca’s side are working on the deal.

Any bid is probably dependent on the future of Noni Madueke. The England forward does have interest from Arsenal, and if he is sold over the coming weeks, it may prompt a formal approach for Kudus.

Irons head coach Graham Potter is known to be keen on several Chelsea players, including Robert Sanchez, but there is a feeling that the club would prefer a cash-only deal. It is definitely a transfer to keep a close eye on.

In other news, West Ham are expected to step up their attempts to sign a new number one goalkeeper once they have purchased El Hadji Malick Diouf