With the emergence of Kai Havertz as a false-nine-ish kind of forward, Arsenal might turn its attention to reinforcing other areas, namely, that right wing. While we have a plethora of options on the left—Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus, even Nelson—we have a dire shortage of options in the right—Saka. That’s…that’s about it. For as much as we rely on Saka, it’s rather remarkable (some might call it derelict) that we don’t have anyone to turn to to give our precious starboy a rest without suffering a dramatic decline. While we could see Martinelli, Trossard, Nelson, or Vieira played on that right wing, it’s clear that we need someone whose natural position hews closer to the role that Saka plays.

Enter Mohammed Kudus, the 23 year old, left-footed Ghanaian who currently plies his trade for West Ham, mainly down that right channel. He’s scored 12 of his 14 goals across all competitions from that spot, but he’s also capable of playing just about anywhere across the attacking third. Transfermarkt shows him having made appearances at no less than six different (nominal) positions, suggesting that he’d tick off a number of Arteta’s boxes—young, full of potential, positional flexibility. Consider transfermarkt’s evaluation of the positions he’s played for West Ham this season:

What would it take to prise him away? The first thought that comes to mind is Declan Rice. We made him one of the most-expensive transfers ever. He was talismanic, and, yet, West Ham are better positioned this season in many ways than they were last season, having invested that £100m to reinforce the squad through the purchases of Kudus, Edson Álvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and some other heretofore-unknown player by the name of Konstantinos Mavropanos. The long and short of it? We have a positive, productive relationship with the Hammers. Hell, in recent years, we’ve loaned them Maruaone Chamakh, Jack Wilshere and Carl Jenkinson. They owe us something…don’t they?

On a more-serious level, it”s possible that we could convince West Ham to sell Kudus for an affordable but still attractive fee in the range of, say £60m. I might even go so far as to suggest that we plump for something closer to £80m, reminding West Ham’s owners of just how much they’ve progressed after selling us Rice and re-investing. They paid £38m to get Kudus from Ajax last summer. Selling him on for a fee that might double their original outlay might just be enticing enough to convince them to pull the trigger. They get to re-invest in strengthening the squad; we get cover and competition across several positions, not least of which is that right wing.

Kudus’s positional flexibility might even make him an even-more attractive target: he wouldn’t be Saka’s understudy, sent on for mop-up minutes. He’d offer Arteta options across the attacking third, perhaps earning starts on that right wing but also in the attacking midfield, and he might thrill to the idea of competing for minutes for emerging world-class talents such as Havertz, Saka, and Ødegaard, even if the role he’d play differs somewhat from the players for whom he’d deputise.

Would he accept a reduced, rotational role, though? That’s a tough question to answer. From our perspective, the answer is easy: who wouldn’t want to play for the Arsenal? More to the point, who wouldn’t want to play for the Arsenal in its ascendancy-slash-resurrection? From his perspective, the answer might be more complex: would he be willing to accept a reduced role, even if he were playing regularly in numerous positions?

He’s a gifted, talented player, and he does fit the profile that Arteta seeks. Signing him might not be as sexy as signing an established player, but Arteta has shown that he’s capable of resurrecting and/or invigorating the careers of under-estimated players in the past. Based on that record, I’d be very interested in seeing what he’d do with the likes of Kudus.

One thing’s clear: we need cover, if not competition, for Saka. Could Kudus fill that role?Weigh in in the comments-section below!