Top Chelsea transfer target wants to sign ‘as soon as possible’
Tom Hancock
- 27 Jul 2023 09:38 CDT
- 3 min read
Elye Wahi is eager to join Chelsea, after Montpellier rejected an initial bid from the Blues for the striker.
Wahi, 20, was one of the standout young players in Ligue 1 last season, scoring 19 goals in 33 appearances – more than all bar six others in the French top flight, among them Kylian Mbappe.
Unsurprisingly given his prodigious showings, the France U21 international has been strongly linked with a big move this summer – and Chelsea would appear to be his favoured destination.
MORE: Chelsea see bid REJECTED for Mbappe goal rival
According to a report from L’Equipe, Wahi wants to complete a move to Chelsea ‘as quickly as possible’.
Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt are also said to be interested in Wahi, who came through Montpellier’s youth system and has made 91 senior appearances for the club – scoring 31 goals in total.
Despite rebuffing Chelsea’s initial advance, Montpellier are believed to be open to continuing negotiations over a potential deal.
MORE: Chelsea’s partner club Strasbourg set to sign former Blues target
Wahi to remedy Chelsea’s goalscoring woes?
Our in-house Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) model currently rates Wahi at €10.7m (£9.1m), but Montpellier are reportedly holding out for €35m (£30m) for their star man.
Such a fee would smash the club’s previous outbound transfer record of €16m – which they received from RB Leipzig for defender Nordi Mukiele back in 2018.
Chelsea have already spent big on attacking additions this transfer window, bringing in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal respectively for a combined €97m (£83m).
But head coach Mauricio Pochettino has hinted that he is not yet satisfied with his attacking options.
The Blues struggled badly for goals during their miserable 2022/23 campaign, finding the net just 38 times in the Premier League as they slumped to a 12th-placed finish.
