West Ham star in red-hot form who idolises Thiago was once a key target for Liverpool

Liverpool are set to face off against West Ham in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night and they will have to be wary of a player they know all too well.

Mohammed Kudus has been in red-hot form for the Hammers in recent weeks and he has finally settled after completing a £38m move from Ajax earlier this year. The Ghanian international has been a roaring success for David Moyes and his form is starting to make fans of the top clubs question why their club didn't make a move.

In the past, Liverpool were linked with a move, as reported by the Athletic; he even netted a fantastic goal in the Champions League for Ajax at Anfield which only sparked interest further. Fabrizio Romano revealed that Liverpool sent scouts to watch him and that he was an alternative target to Jude Bellingham, who they chased for well over a year.

He even once explained his love for midfielder Thiago, as he revealed he has the Spaniard's shirt at home: "I loved his game as a child. I like creativity and having fun playing. When I played in Denmark, a friend of mine arranged for a shirt from him. It was fantastic. The shirt is hanging at my home and I am very proud of it."

Now, he comes head-to-head with Liverpool once again after previously playing 16 minutes against them earlier in the season as a striker in a 3-1 defeat.

With 12 goals and two assists in 24 games, Kudus has proven himself with goals in every competition he has featured this season, scoring goals in the league, cup and Europe for West Ham as well as the league and Europa League qualifying for Ajax prior to his move. Despite a brief adaption process where he didn't start his first league game under Moyes until the end of October, he has fully established himself and will be the danger man for Liverpool to worry about in their cup clash.

Kudus has five goal contributions in six games, including a double against Wolves at the weekend with both goals showing his ability to strike from distance as well as produce a smart chipped finish. With injuries to contend with at the back, Kudus will relish the chance to take on Kostas Tsimikas or Joe Gomez at left-back.