Everton were ‘really close’ to signing Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus over the summer, according to journalist Patrick Boyland.

The Lowdown: Late offer rejected

The Independent have claimed that the Toffees saw a last-ditch £15m offer for the 22-year-old rejected before the deadline as a result of the Eredivisie giants having already sold a number of their other household names.

The Ghanaian, who is currently at the World Cup, later admitted that he wanted to make the switch to the Premier League in search of more game time, and it sounds like his next destination was almost Goodison Park.

The Latest: Kudus’ shock update

Taking to Twitter, Boyland relayed quotes from Kudus during a fresh interview with Joy Sport where the player revealed that he nearly put pen to paper on Merseyside. He wrote:

“Ajax & Ghana's Mohammed Kudus has said he was "really close" to joining Everton over summer and spoke to Frank Lampard about a potential move.

“I thought it was a good project for me and I felt I should try it," he told Joy Sport.”

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The Verdict: Worth another attempt?

Whilst Everton weren’t able to wrap up a deal in the window just gone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be unsuccessful again which is why it could be worth making a second attempt.

The Accra native has racked up 12 goal contributions in 21 outings across all competitions this term and currently averages 1.8 shots and 1.6 dribbles per league 90 minutes (WhoScored).

The Toffees are the joint second-lowest scoring team in the division this season, but the creative addition of Kudus in 2023 could help change that.