Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus to test himself for another season at Ajax Amsterdam before considering a move.
The 22-year-old has been linked to several European clubs this summer following his impressive performance for club and country.
Kudus, who has two years left on his contract has reportedly rejected a contract extension at Ajax. Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have all joined the race to sign the former FC Nordsjaeland attacker.
However, Barnes, who won two English Premier League titles with Liverpool, explained that it was in the best interest of footballers to be consistent in their teams enough to prepare them for bigger moves in the future.
Speaking to Graphic Sports, he noted that players who made big moves were likely to be under immense pressure and needed some consistency to deal with that situation.
“I have a belief that players must spend more years at a particular club to be consistent before they consider a big move,” he said.
“This is because most players face pressure from clubs and supporters whenever they make bigger moves, and you will need consistency to deal with such.”
The 22-year-old playmaker scored 18 goals in 41 appearances for Ajax this term and was Ghana’s darling boy at the World Cup last November when he netted twice in a 3-2 victory over South Korea.
Barnes was full of praise for the gifted midfielder and described him as one of the best players in Africa currently.
When asked whether he would advise Kudus to make a move for big money, Barnes said that was the only motivation of modern-day players and would not fault the Ghanaian for making such a decision.
“Unfortunately, the only motivation of footballers now is to make enough money, so I won’t blame Kudus for taking such a decision."
Kudus has been named in Black Stars squad for the matchday five games of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Madagascar next month.