Summary Chelsea are interested in signing Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, with Premier League rivals Arsenal and West Ham also potential suitors. Wahi had an impressive season in France, scoring 19 goals and registering five assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances. Chelsea would need to pay around £35m for Wahi, but the club's financial power shouldn't be an issue. Signing him would provide Chelsea with a young prospect to develop in their forward line.
Chelsea are still extremely active in the transfer market despite kicking off their Premier League campaign this weekend, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential transfer target.
What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Elye Wahi?
According to 90min, Chelsea are one of the clubs interested in signing Montpellier striker Elye Wahi this summer.
As per the report, the player is attracting lots of interest from Premier League clubs with Arsenal and West Ham United among those who are potential suitors alongside the Blues, whilst it is claimed that the west Londoners have already made a verbal offer.
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It is noted that the Ligue 1 club would expect a fee of around £35m to part ways with their youth prospect, a fee that should not trouble the financial power at Stamford Bridge.
Who is Elye Wahi?
The France U21 international was a standout performer in front of goal in France last season, which has ultimately led to huge interest from many clubs who are vying to secure his signature.
Over 33 Ligue 1 appearances, the 20-year-old scored 19 goals, registered five assists and created seven big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 shots on target and 1.9 shots in total per game, featuring seventh in the French top flight's top-scorers list – just ten goals shy of PSG star Kylian Mbappe.
Not only that, as per FBref, Wahi ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, goal contributions in total, shots on target and carries into the final third per 90, demonstrating strong attributes in front of goal.
Despite snapping up the services of Nicolas Jackson already this summer, bringing in depth and quality in the final third will be crucial for Chelsea this summer as they endeavour to improve upon their shocking campaign that saw them finish 12th in the top-flight last season, missing out on European football.
As a result, the signing of Wahi would be a great opportunity for Mauricio Pochettino to bring in a young and hungry talent who could be the perfect heir for Romelu Lukaku, a player whose future at Stamford Bridge is likely over after failing to make the impact needed to compete for the centre-forward role – having scored just eight league goals during the 2021/22 season.
The Chelsea flop has been given the green light to complete a permanent move away from west London following his season-long loan with Inter Milan, however, there is still no move set in stone for the Belgian to depart as of yet, although fresh interest from Tottenham Hotspur has been revealed.
The Montpellier goal machine could be the man to truly oust the Belgian as the Blues' new leading man in attack, with the youngster having rightfully been the recipient of high praise for his development so far, with reporter Andrés Onrubia Ramos full of compliments for Wahi last year:
"Montpellier: Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season. A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode.”
With that being said, if Chelsea could secure Wahi's signature this summer it would provide Pochettino with a youth prospect that he can develop to become a key player in the forward line, ensuring that the club can swiftly move on from their Lukaku nightmare.