Chelsea ADVANCING in talks for Ligue 1 wonderkid

Cameron Smith

• 23 Jul 2023 13:47 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are reportedly pushing ahead in their attempts to sign Montpellier wonderkid Sepe Elye Wahi, amid interest from other European clubs.

The Blues have already signed Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side are still looking at adding further options to their forward line.

Interestingly though, rather than integrate him into the first-team, Chelsea plan to loan Wahi to their sister club Strasbourg for next season if they’re able to seal a deal for the 20-year-old.

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That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has also reported that Chelsea are advancing in talks for the Frenchman and have scheduled a fresh set of negotiations with Montpellier.

The Blues reportedly want to accelerate their pursuit of Wahi next week, due to the fact that other European clubs are circling and have expressed interest in signing him.

Chelsea have already sent young striker David Datro Fofana on loan to Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin, while Armando Broja is expected to remain with the first-team squad after he suffered an ACL injury last campaign.

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The Blues netted just 38 goals in the Premier League last season - the joint-sixth worst tally in the division - and have sold Kai Havertz, their top goal-scorer from last season, to London rivals Arsenal.

How good is Wahi?

The 20-year-old scored 21 times in Ligue 1 last season and is viewed as one of the outstanding young talents in the division.

In fact, Kylian Mbappe is the only player in history to reach 20 Ligue 1 goals quicker than Wahi, with the Montpellier man achieving the feat in a shorter period of time than both Karim Benzema and Thierry Henry.

Chelsea are not the only club interested in signing Wahi, however. According to L’Equipe, Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin, Lazio and Bournemouth have all made offers for Wahi.

The player himself is also not keen on being loaned out to Strasbourg in the event of signing for Chelsea, according to French media. Unfortunately for Wahi, that is the Blues’ current plan