Tottenham shirt numbers available to Mohammed Kudus ahead of £55m West Ham transfer

No Bryan Mbeumo? No problem for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur, who are reportedly on the verge of bringing versatile West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus to the home of the Europa League winners.

While Chelsea were prepared to rival Spurs for the Ghana international's signature, potentially with the promise of a seven or eight-year contract, Kudus only had eyes for a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

The 24-year-old's wish is about to be granted, as West Ham are now understood to have accepted a £55m bid from Frank's side, and Kudus will undergo his medical in the coming hours ahead of an announcement, which could potentially come as early as Thursday.

Ahead of Kudus's unveiling, Sports Mole takes a look at the shirt numbers that the former Ajax man could take at Tottenham.

Throughout his three-year spell at the London Stadium, Kudus has donned the '14' on his back for West Ham, a jersey which was memorably worn by Luka Modric and David Ginola at White Hart Lane.

However, defensive prodigy Archie Gray is currently in possession of that shirt at Tottenham, although the Lilywhites' number two and number three jerseys are vacant following Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon's departures.

Such shirts would be more traditional for a full-back, but Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie may be given first refusal on those given their standing in the pecking order, so Gray will likely retain the '14' for now.

Before earning his Premier League stars, Kudus was Ajax's number 20, and the adaptable attacker has almost always donned the same shirt for the Ghana national team, as well as a brief stint as their number 10.

James Maddison is in no position to relinquish the '10' jersey, but Tottenham's number 20 shirt is awaiting its next taker after the exit of its previous incumbent Fraser Forster.

Kudus could emulate Dele Alli with Tottenham shirt number

It would be somewhat fitting if Kudus was to take on the number 20 shirt at Tottenham, as that is the same jersey that fellow playmaker Dele Alli donned for seven years in North London between 2015 and 2022.

Kudus taking the number 20 may therefore be written in the stars, although there are a plethora of other unattached shirts that the Ghana international could select from this summer.

The number 12 that Gary Lineker once wore is also without an occupier, although that shirt has been exclusively worn by defenders and goalkeepers in the 21st century at Tottenham; Emerson Royal was the last to wear it.

Spurs' number 16 shirt - previously sported by Gareth Bale and most recently Timo Werner - is also vacant, but the unoccupied '20' surely has Kudus's name written all over it. 

Written by
Ben Knapton