Montpellier reveal Wahi's asking price after rejecting €25m bid amid Arsenal interest

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 14 May 2023 12:54 BST
• 3 min read

Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin has revealed that he rejected a €25 million bid from an unnamed Premier League club in January for 20-year-old forward Sepe Elye Wahi.

Nicollin did not reveal which English top flight club saw their offer turned down during the winter transfer window, but admitted that Wahi would be worth at least €60m if he played for a more high-profile team than Montpellier.

The young Frenchman has netted 17 goals and contributed five assists in just 30 Ligue 1 appearances this season - form that has attracted interest from Arsenal despite the fact that Folarin Balogun remains a Gunners player. Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund have also expressed interest in the past, according to reports.

The French club are currently 12th in Ligue 1 and have relied heavily on Wahi’s goals, as well as star midfielder Teji Savanier, this campaign.

Arsenal to sign Wahi?

Arsenal’s interest in Wahi is slightly strange considering Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are already battling it out for the number nine position, while Balogun is currently excelling at Stade Reims.

The on-loan Gunners forward has bagged 19 goals in the French top flight, two more than Wahi, although he has made four more appearances than the Montpellier star. Balogun has only scored once in his past five games, enduring somewhat of a goal-scoring drought after starting the season in mesmerising form.

On the other hand, Wahi has made waves in recent years thanks to an incredible breakthrough into senior football. He hit the 20-goal mark in Ligue 1 quicker than both Karim Benzema and Thierry Henry, while he was the top-scoring teenager in Europe last term with 10 Ligue 1 goals.

The Frenchman recently scored four goals in a 5-4 defeat against Lyon - a game in which former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette also netted four times.