Brighton & Hove Albion have reached an agreement in principle with Ajax to sign attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
Subject to the deal being finalised, the fee is in the region of €40million (£34.5m; $44m). That would make it a club-record purchase — surpassing the price paid for Joao Pedro this summer, which was just under £30 million.
The move has been driven by Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who views Kudus as a key target.
The Athletic reported last month Chelsea had made contact with Ajax to express an interest in Kudus, who turned 23 this week.
Brighton have rejected four bids from Chelsea for midfielder Moises Caicedo, the latest being an offer of £80million (£75m plus £5m in add-ons) made last month.
Mohammed Kudus is under contract at Ajax until 2025 but rejected a one-year extension in April and is keen to leave the Johan Cruyff Arena.
He has spent three seasons in Amsterdam, scoring 16 goals in 63 Eredivisie matches. He has scored seven goals in 24 appearances for Ghana, including two at the 2022 World Cup in the 3-2 group-stage win over South Korea.
What makes Kudus so appealing?
A mid-sized (5ft 9in; 177cm), stocky player with boundless energy both on and off the ball, Kudus is a speed dribbler and powerful ball-striker rolled into one.
His ability to dominate various roles with his blend of physicality and speed has been hugely effective for Ajax, who have utilised his unique profile all over the pitch to gain momentum in individual battles or to burst through weak spots in the opposition set-up.
Kudus has played as many as seven positions since his debut in Dutch football, operating all the way from a deep-lying No 6 to an out-and-out centre-forward, with the majority of his time spent out on the right-wing running at the full-back.
