STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- French agent Jennifer Mendelewitsch claims Kudus’ family pressured him into ending their partnership ahead of his £55m move to Tottenham Hotspur
- Mendelewitsch, who managed Kudus from FC Nordsjaelland through Ajax and West Ham, says she handled all his major transfers except the last
- Kudus is now sidelined with a serious quad injury that may require surgery, effectively ruling him out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Tottenham are battling relegation from the Premier League, making this one of the most turbulent chapters of the Ghanaian’s career
When Mohammed Kudus completed his reported £55 million move from West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the 2025-26 season, it looked like the crowning moment of a meteoric rise.
What few knew at the time was that the transfer had been shadowed by a quiet but consequential rupture — the end of his relationship with the woman who helped build his career.
French agent Jennifer Mendelewitsch, who operates under Supernova Management, began representing Kudus around 2020 during his final year at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland — when he was barely known beyond Scandinavian football circuits.
She would go on to guide him to Ajax, and then orchestrate his breakthrough move to the Premier League.
Now she is speaking out. In a wide-ranging interview on the EN OFF podcast, Mendelewitsch revealed that their partnership did not end on her terms — or, she suggests, entirely on Kudus’ own terms either.
“We were coming to the end of our term, and so as we always do, we asked ourselves, what do we do? Do we continue on our path together or not?
I understood perfectly that his family was exerting pressure to get him to say no, and he submitted to it,” she said.
A Career Constructed, Then Handed Away
Mendelewitsch’s account is notable not just for what it alleges, but for what it establishes: a picture of sustained investment in a player’s development that she believes has been squandered.
She disclosed that beyond transfers, she also supported Kudus through difficult moments, including a long injury spell during his time at Ajax.
According to her, he was largely alone at the time, and she even helped arrange visits for his mother to support him.
Mendelewitsch and her team were instrumental in facilitating Kudus’ transfer from Ajax to West Ham on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £38m plus add-ons — a deal that changed his profile entirely.
His debut Premier League season delivered 14 goals and six assists, cementing him as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders in European football.
Yet it was precisely at the moment of his biggest transfer that the relationship fractured. Mendelewitsch expressed disappointment over the outcome, insisting she had successfully managed all of Kudus’ transfers up to their separation.
She also raised a broader warning about the dangers of integrating family into management structures: “I can understand that you want to gradually integrate your family is natural.
The problem is when you realize that it is to your detriment — then correct the situation, leave them out of it a little bit or give them tasks that won’t impact you. The problem is when it impacts you and here we see it very clearly.”
The Money Question
One of the more interesting moments in Mendelewitsch’s interview came when she addressed the financial motivations she believes drove the family’s intervention.
“His family wanted to eat more money,” she said plainly, suggesting that the desire to absorb a larger share of the player’s earnings — rather than any genuine concern about his career direction — was the driving force behind the split.
When asked whether she had offered to cut the family in on her commission, she was equally direct: giving a percentage of agent fees to a third party is illegal under FIFA regulations, and she made clear she had no intention of crossing that line — whatever the cost to the relationship.
“He Is on a Slope That Is Not Going Up”
Mendelewitsch’s most striking claim is not about the past — it is about the present. At 25, she argues, Kudus should be at or near his peak. Instead, she believes his trajectory has stalled.
“He is going to be 26 years old. There are players today who we talk about more than him who are more successful than him,” she said.
Right now, he is on a slope that is not going up, and yet we built it up gradually — and unfortunately we realize that things aren’t going well around him,” she said.
The numbers at Spurs bear some of that out. He scored three goals in 26 total appearances this season — modest returns for a £55 million signing.
More critically, Kudus suffered a significant quad injury in early January during Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland and had been expected to miss three months. He has since suffered a setback in his recovery and may require surgery.
Ghana plays its opening Group L game against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, then faces England on June 23 in Foxborough and Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.
Without their most dynamic attacking weapon, the Black Stars’ World Cup prospects look considerably diminished.
Mendelewitsch did not hold back in drawing a connection between Kudus’ current circumstances and his decision to part ways with her: “They are flirting with relegation to the Championship — it’s the first time that has happened to him. Well, sorry, but you punished yourself. It’s a shame but that’s life.”
Kudus and his representatives have yet to comment on the story by his agent.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
