The former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder said he rates Kudus very highly, describing him as a “good footballer.”
“I rate him very highly, and he’s got everything to be at the top. He is a good footballer, and he has everything to go to the top,” Essien told talkSPORT.
Essien had his breakthrough at Lyon before securing a dream move to Chelsea, where he established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
He went on to win two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the League Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Kudus has had a similar career trajectory, having joined West Ham United from Ajax Amsterdam just a year ago.
The 23-year-old also enjoyed an excellent debut campaign in the English topflight, where he recorded 14 goals and six assists in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Premier League giants Manchester United are reportedly considering signing Kudus to solve their goal-scoring problems.
The Red Devils are said to be ready to splash around £60 million on a new forward following the departure of Antony Martial.
The Mirror reports that Erik ten Hag’s side has targeted Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha as their first choice but also have Kudus on their radar.
Manchester United were one of the clubs mooted to be interested in Kudus before he joined West Ham, as he previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax.
However, the Red Devils ultimately went for Antony but the Brazilian has so far failed to produce consistent performances.
West Ham signed Kudus for £38 million and the 23-year-old still has four years left on his current contract, which means he won’t come cheap.
The Hammers are known to be tough negotiators when it comes to selling their assets, having demanded the full £105 million from Arsenal before allowing former captain Declan Rice to join the Gunners last year.