Ghana international, Kudus Mohammed has been named among the top five favourites to win the 2023 African Footballer of the Year.
The Ajax star has been sensational for club and country.
The 22-year-old was arguably Ghana's best player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite the country's early exit from the tournament.
And according to khelnow.com, Kudus Mohammed stands the chance to win the award due to his impressive performance for club and country.
Other players likely to win the prestigious award include Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana, Liverpool striker, Mohammed Salah, PSG defender, Achraf Hakimi and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen.
However, the Confederations of African Football (CAF) have confirmed that the ceremony will make a welcome return on 11 December 2023 in Morocco to celebrate the stars of African football in Morocco on December 11.
After last year’s successful event hosted in the Moroccan capital of Rabat which saw Senegal inspirational forward Sadio Mane and Nigeria and Barcelona top striker Asisat Oshoala claim honours.
Meanwhile, Kudus Mohammed has been at the centre of transfer discussions in the past weeks following interests from several top European clubs with Premier League teams believed to be the frontrunners for his signature.
A few weeks ago, Chelsea were said to have struck an agreement on personal terms with the player as they sought experience in attack for the upcoming season but no official bid was confirmed in that regard.
Subsequently, Brighton and Hove Albion were also believed to have agreed a fee with Ajax for the player but no further update have been given with respect to negotiations with the player.
Meanwhile, Ajax have set a deadline for striking a deal by Wednesday with any interested club with the price tag of Kudus to be around 40m. If the deadline elapses, the Dutch giants are expected to close doors for any club unless a higher fee is offered.
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.
The CAF awards are to recognise the standout performers from club and country, with the highlight being the crowning of the CAF African Player of the Year in both the men's and women's categories.