Chelsea are believed to be interested in signing Montpellier attacker Elye Wahi this summer, rivalling Wolves for his signature in the process.
Who is Elye Wahi?
The 20-year-old is an exciting young footballer currently making a name for himself in his homeland of France, catching the eye with his performances for Montpellier over the past 12 months or so, in particular.
Wahi proved to be one of the standout attacking players in the whole of Ligue 1 last season, scoring a hugely impressive 19 goals in just 29 starts. He also chipped in with five assists for good measure, showcasing his potential and no doubt making various clubs take notice.
The youngster is also a three-cap and one-goal France Under-21s international, and he has represented his country at Under-20, Under-19, Under-18, Under-17 and Under-16 level, too, showing that he has been considered a prospect for a number of years now.
Wahi is contracted with Montpellier until the summer of 2025, and while that is still two years away, the French club may start to become wary that they are slowly running out of time when it comes to receiving the biggest amount of money for his signature.
With Chelsea eyeing up attacking signings ahead of the new Premier League season, it looks as though the French ace could be seen as a potential acquisition in the summer transfer window.
Could Chelsea sign Elye Wahi this summer?
According to a new report from French outlet L'Equipe, the Blues are interested in signing Wahi this summer, and have been negotiating with him over a move for a number of days. Wolves have been in the conversation for the Montepellier man, but it looks as though the English team mooted recently is Chelsea.
A bid of around €30m (£25.6m) could be enough for the west Londoners to get their man, as Mauricio Pochettino looks to turn his side's fortunes around after a dire 2022/23 campaign, with new signings vital for that to happen.
Wahi could be a brilliant signing by Chelsea before the new season starts, having been described as "a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next" by former Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo in the past.
At just 20, he has already shown that he can excel in one of Europe's big five leagues, and while the step up to the Premier League is still great, he has all the time in the world to mature as a player and adjust to life in the division.
Chelsea are absolutely crying out for a young centre-forward who can spearhead the attack for many years to come, with the departed Kai Havertz and the ageing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also not the long-term solution moving forward.
Granted, there is still a rawness to Wahi's game that means another more experienced striker could also do with coming in, but he looks to have maturity beyond his years already, as highlighted by the relentless goal scoring form he produced in a Montpellier shirt last term.