Chelsea have seen an opening offer of £23.5m turned down for young striker Elye Wahi, it has been reported, but remain in the lead to land the talented attacker this summer.
The Frenchman is coming off the back of a Ligue 1 season that saw him score 19 times and grab a further 6 assists, and he is considered one of the biggest talents around Europe.
Unsurprisingly, that has attracted the attention of plenty of suitors, with PSG and Atletico Madrid thought to be keen on signing him, while the Athletic have previously claimed that Chelsea are ‘the most advanced in the race’ for his signature.
Tottenham were also thought to be interested in the attacker, but it is their west London counterparts that have made the first move.
Kevin DANSO of Lens and Elye WAHI of Montpellier during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between RC Lens and Montpellier HSC on October 15, 2022 at Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens, France – Photo Matthieu Mirville / DPPI 2KDKP4H Kevin DANSO of Lens and Elye WAHI of Montpellier during the French championship Ligue 1 football match between RC Lens and Montpellier HSC on October 15, 2022 at Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens, France – Photo Matthieu Mirville / DPPI (Alamy Stock Photo)
As per L’Equipe, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have seen an opening 27.5m euro (£23.5m) bid turned down by Montpellier, who are holding out for closer to £30m.
Despite this though, they add that Atletico Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt interest will be rebuffed by the player, who is determined to join the Stamford Bridge side this summer rather than move elsewhere.
Chelsea remain on the hunt for a senior option to lead the line despite the ongoing Romelu Lukaku saga, though they will have been bouyed by the impact made by £32m summer signing Nicolas Jackson, who has scored in each of his pre-season appearances since joining from La Liga side Villarreal.
Pochettino can also call on Armando Broja, but there is the feeling that should a senior striker become available, they would like to add one to their ranks.