Chelsea have been joined by Premier League rivals West Ham United in the race for Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, according to French daily L’EQUIPE.
The Blues have made two major additions to their frontline this summer, signing Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson. It’s worth noting that they forked out a combined sum of €97 million to acquire the aforementioned player. It appears that the English giants are keen to further bolster their options in attack.
It, therefore, emerged last month that Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Wahi, 20, from Montpellier. They were tipped to make a formal offer for the France U21 international early in July but have not seemingly made progress in their bid to sign him.
The London giants are yet to ramp up efforts to sign Wahi despite holding direct talks with him over a move to Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have to act quickly to sign the Frenchman, as they risk facing increased competition.
West Ham have entered the race to sign the right-footed frontman after selling Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta. The Premier League club are expected to step up their interest in Wahi with a formal offer imminently.
Eintracht Frankfurt, who are on the hunt for a replacement for Paris Saint-Germain target Randal Kolo Muani, have notably already made a bid for Wahi. However, their €33 million offer, including add-ons, reportedly falls well short of Montpellier’s valuation of the player.
It, therefore, remains to be seen if West Ham can reach an agreement with the Ligue 1 club for Wahi. They’re certainly not short of cash after selling Declan Rice to Premier League rivals Arsenal in a deal worth up to €121.5 million.
Chelsea focused on signing Moises Caicedo
Chelsea’s reluctance to accelerate their interest in Elye Wahi could be explained by their pursuit of midfielder Moises Caicedo. The Ecuador international has long been identified as the Blues’ top target for the summer. They have had multiple bids, including €115 million, rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion, though.
It emerged on Thursday (August 10) that Liverpool agreed to sign Caicedo for €127 million. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have since been hard at work to scupper the Reds’ deal. The player’s desire to move to Stamford Bridge has bought them some time.
As per The Daily Telegraph, Chelsea are now on the verge of agreeing a €133 million deal for Caicedo. They hope to get the deal across the line without further hiccups. The Ecuadorian could be present at Stamford Bridge for their Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday (August 13) afternoon.