Man Utd, Chelsea and Newcastle are watching the wrong Ligue 1 striker

Robin Bairner

• 25 Feb 2022 15:13 CST
• 3 min read

Over the course of the last month, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle have all been credited with an interest in Reims forward Hugo Ekitike, but there is potentially an even hotter teenage prospect in Ligue 1.

Ekitike has recently picked up an injury that will keep him on the sidelines between four and six weeks, giving the Premier League scouts in France an opportunity to look elsewhere.

After Elye Wahi scored a brilliant goal for Montpellier against Rennes on Friday, the 19-year-old will doubtless be closely scrutinised by these clubs.

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Of course, all three will already know a good deal about the 19-year-old, who has long been heralded as one of France’s most promising forwards, even before breaking into the Montpellier side last season.

Since then, he has confirmed that reputation and on Friday struck his seventh goal of the league season already. No player born in 2003 or later has more goals, including Bayer Leverkusen hotshot Florian Wirtz, who equals Wahi’s tally.

Wahi’s incredible Rennes goal

His strike was a special one, too. As he carefully watched a cross coming in from the right flank, he used his body smartly to hold off marker Warmed Omari, who was as tight as could be expected. From a seemingly impossible position, he executed an incredible overhead kick that flew into the corner of the goal.

Omari looked round puzzled to see the ball in the net, while it appeared that even Wahi could not believe the moment of skill he had produced.

If he showcased his finishing ability brilliantly against Rennes, there are elements of his game that need polished. He is a player capable of a wide array of skills, but needs to put them together more often. His performance can be erratic as a result.

Furthermore, his versatility is counting against him at present. He has typically been most effective when playing from the wing, but has been used in attack due to a lack of options at Montpellier.

Nevertheless, with the right guidance, Wahi has the potential to cut it at the top level, and as an alternative to Ekitike, Man Utd, Chelsea and Newcastle would be well advised to study him closely.