According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Arsenal remain in the race with Chelsea to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi.
Wahi had an impressive season with Montpellier with 19 goals and 6 goals from 33 appearances. Chelsea are currently working on a possible deal to sign him from the French club. They plan to send him out on loan to Strasbourg, who have been recently bought by co-owner Todd Boehly.
However, they are not the only club in the race. As per Foot Mercato, Arsenal are also eyeing a move for the 20-year-old and could look to hijack Chelsea’s attempts to sign him while Newcastle are also mentioned as suitors.
It is reported that Arsenal could consider an approach for Wahi as they prepare to sell Folarin Balogun. According to the report, Montpellier value Wahi at £26 million so he wouldn’t break the bank.
Balogun replacement
Arsenal are currently considering offers for Balogun after his superb 22-goal season with Reims on loan. The London giants cannot guarantee the striker with regular first-team action, and they are prepared to listen to bids of around £50 million from interested clubs.
Mikel Arteta’s side could consider Wahi as a cheaper replacement for Balogun. Wahi is slightly taller than Balogun, but both have similar attributes. They are both mobile strikers in the final third of the pitch. The pair depend on their movement to create space to attempt shots on goal.
Arsenal could make a formal swoop for Wahi depending on the interest in Balogun which could take some time to result in a move. This could benefit the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea. Newcastle are keen on adding more quality into the squad after their Champions League qualification, but Chelsea seem to be leading the race.
Chelsea are planning to hold direct talks with Montpellier over the transfer fee. The Blues don’t consider the youngster as part of their first-team plans under manager Mauricio Pochettino, but may want to sign him as soon as possible such that he can be loaned out to Strasbourg to gain valuable first-team experience.
