Chelsea will reportedly look to beat Arsenal to the signature of 20-year-old French striker Elye Wahi before loaning him to RC Strasbourg.
According to a report by French outlet Foot Mercato, Elye Wahi might join Chelsea in the summer transfer window. But he will likely remain in Ligue 1, with the Blues looking to loan him to their sister club RC Strasbourg. Meanwhile, the Montpellier striker is also a target for Arsenal.
Elye Wahi passed through the academies at four clubs during his formative years. But he has come leaps and bounds since graduating from the youth division at Montpellier HSC. And since making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in December 2020, he has gone from strength to strength at the French club.
The 20-year-old striker was in fine form last season, scoring 19 goals while providing six assists in 33 appearances. In addition, Wahi featured for his nation at the recently-concluded Under-21 European Championships. And the Frenchman’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with Arsenal and Chelsea keen on signing him.
Wahi has been on Arsenal’s radar for a long time. But the Gunners have not pulled the trigger, as Mikel Arteta has three strikers at his disposal. And with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah unlikely to leave anytime soon, there is no room for a new striker at Arsenal. So even if Folarin Balogun departs from the Emirates, it makes no sense for Arsenal to sign a striker.
Nonetheless, Elye Wahi remains on Arsenal’s radar. And the Gunners are ready to lock horns with Chelsea in the race to sign the 20-year-old French striker. But with Chelsea holding talks to sign the youngster, the North London giants have an uphill task while pursuing the youngster.
The Blues have signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal this summer. But the Senegalese international does not have the quality to be the undisputed first-choice striker for a club like Chelsea. Wahi has thus emerged as a viable target for the West London club. But Chelsea will likely loan him out to sister club RC Strasbourg instead of integrating him into the first-team squad.
With Wahi well-settled in Ligue 1, Strasbourg will have a readymade replacement for Habib Diallo. The 28-year-old has attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs this summer. And Wahi can potentially fill the void that he will leave. With Chelsea hopeful of landing the 20-year-old, he will likely join Strasbourg this summer.
