West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea target Elye Wahi from Montpellier as a replacement for veteran striker Michail Antonio if he heads to Saudi Arabia this summer.
According to a report from 90min, Montpellier striker and Chelsea target Elye Wahi is firmly on the radar of West Ham as a potential option to bolster their attacking options should 33-year-old Antonio leave amid strong interest from Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq.
Wahi enjoyed a fantastic 2022–23 season with Montpellier and is touted for big things in the future. He scored 19 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last term, along with making six assists. This gives him an impressive average of 0.76 goal contributions per game, something only six forwards have bettered, and at just 20 years old, there is plenty of room for improvement.
Needless to say, several European clubs are after his services. It has been widely reported that Chelsea are progressing “in talks” with the French side over signing Wahi this summer. Pochettino is understood to be keen on the striker.
However, the Argentine boss’ plan for Wahi is to loan him out to the Blues’ sister club, Strasbourg, rather than use him straight away in the Premier League in the coming season.
The player isn’t keen on this idea, though, given that heading to Strasbourg would be a bit of a step back from Montpellier, and would like to go straight into the Blues’ first team. Talks are continuing, with Chelsea reported to be readying a €32 million bid for the France Under-21 international. West Ham, however, could potentially scupper their plans.
With the player clearly keen on regular football rather than being a bit-part player, the Hammers could offer him guaranteed first-team action in light of a potential reshuffle that could take place in the striking department this summer.
Michail Antonio could be on his way out with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Gianluca Scamacca could return to Italy to join Roma on loan initially. Danny Ings, meanwhile, has failed to impress since joining and could potentially leave also, paving the way for Wahi to get consistent game time at the London Stadium.
Wahi would be an incredibly exciting addition for West Ham if they could manage to beat the Blues to his signature. A centre-forward by trade, he can operate out wide as well if need be. With blistering pace, potent finishing, and a decent work rate, he has absolutely everything in his locker to go on and become a huge star in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, the Irons are edging closer to signing wonderkid Carlos Borges from Manchester City for a fee in the region of £14 million, and plan to strengthen in several different positions, with the £105 million cash brought in from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal burning a hole in their pocket.
