West Ham United have held positive talks with Montpellier for forward Elye Wahi, who also has the attention of London rivals Chelsea.
According to a report by Mail Sport, West Ham United have held positive talks for Elye Wahi in a bid to sign the forward before the window closes. The €35 million-rated Frenchman could draw plenty of attention in the final days of the window from Chelsea and others, which could push the Hammers to accelerate a deal.
West Ham United are keen to wrap up some more important moves for players deemed essential by David Moyes before the window shuts. They faced a setback recently with the Harry Maguire chase despite agreeing on a fee with Manchester United.
They have already targetted former Arsenal defender Dinos Mavropanos as an alternative. But Moyes wants to bring in key attacking reinforcements in the coming period. The departure of Gianluca Scamacca has left a massive gap to fill in the centre-forward position, which the Hammers intend to bridge.
Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun remains a target, but his €60 million asking price could become a problem for the Hammers. Hence, they have been looking at other alternatives, including €35 million-rated Chelsea target Elye Wahi.
Recent reports suggested Wahi would prefer a move to West Ham over other rivals, including Chelsea and Tottenham. At the Hammers, the French forward could become a regular and play weekly for them domestically and in Europe.
Chelsea have also been keen but focused on sealing key midfield targets like Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. They also wanted to sign Michael Olise, but the winger has now chosen to sign a new deal with Crystal Palace, which could bring the Blues back in the hunt for Wahi.
West Ham must quickly secure the striker’s signature before others swoop in. Montpellier had already rejected a bid from Chelsea earlier and will demand €35 million for the French striker, who scored 19 goals last season. The Hammers have the funds to finalise this deal, as things could accelerate in the coming days.
Wahi could refresh their forward line, as Moyes also wants to bring Mohammed Kudus from Ajax. The latter’s move to Brighton fell through after disagreeing on personal terms, but the Hammers will continue to push for the Ghanaian forward.
