Top Chelsea transfer target’s ‘exit AGREED’
Tom Hancock
- Updated: 4 Aug 2023 19:16 BST
- 3 min read
Montpellier have agreed to let Chelsea target Elye Wahi leave, says the Ligue 1 club’s president – although no deadline has been put on any sale.
Wahi was one the best young players in the French top flight last season, scoring 19 goals and providing six assists in 33 appearances.
And the 20-year-old striker’s performances have attracted attention from multiple Premier League clubs, with West Ham also said to be keen.
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There is no haste from Montpellier’s end to move Wahi on, although club president Louis Nicollin is prepared to let him depart. He told RMC Sport (via the Evening Standard) on Thursday: “There is no deadline.
“We are August 3. We [Montpellier and Wahi] agreed on an exit. We’ll think about it if the league starts and maybe we’ll put a deadline. There’s a month left of the transfer window. We’ve said certain things to each other.
“He’s training; we’ll see with him. If there’s nothing come the 20th or the 25th of August, we aren’t more stupid than anyone else; we’ll talk; he’ll be available for the first team.”
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Chelsea’s useful French connection
As big a star as Wahi – who has represented France seven times at U21 level – already is for Montpellier, he is not thought to be in Mauricio Pochettino’s immediate first-team plans at Chelsea – should the Blues get a deal over the line, of course.
But the two-time European champions could make use of their ties to another Ligue 1 club, Strasbourg – who are owned by BlueCo, Todd Boehly’s consortium which took over at Stamford Bridge last year.
Chelsea are allowed to loan a maximum of three players to Strasbourg and are expected to fill all of those spots.
