After Chelsea, and by extension owner Todd Boehly, made an initial offer for Montpellier striker Elye Wahi – it is believed the forward wants to join Mauricio Pochettino's side "quickly".
Who will Chelsea sign?
Wahi, who enjoyed a fine Ligue 1 season over 2022/2023, is one of a few players currently being targeted by Chelsea.
The west Londoners will be very keen to put last campaign behind them, having gone through a trio of different managers whilst even scoring less goals than the likes of relegated Leicester City.
Chelsea, despite spending lavishly since their takeover from BlueCo, didn't even manage a top half finish and there has been quite a significant rebuild going on behind-the-scenes.
Pochettino's side have managed to rid a previously bloated squad of unwanted players, with N'Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic, Ethan Ampadu and Cesar Azpilicueta moving elsewhere.
Chelsea have also sealed the signings of star attacking duo Christopher Nkunku, who joined from RB Leipzig for around £51 million, and Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal to the tune of £31 million (Transfermarkt).
At the beginning of July, Pochettino also promised supporters to the media that they would see more incomings this summer.
"If we are all together, we are going to be very strong," said Pochettino.
"We have an unbelievable squad and for sure are going to bring players with commitment who want to be part of it also. With the fans and everyone, we can find again the way to be successful.”
Moises Caicedo, who is reportedly a top target, is at the centre of Chelsea transfer talks as Boehly looks to shore up Pochettino's midfield. However, they're finding a deal increasingly difficult to pull off, with the Seagulls rejecting Chelsea's latest marquee bid.
Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus, who enjoyed a fine campaign for both his club and Ghana at the 2022 World Cup, is also attracting interest and it is believed they're in pole position.
Going back to Wahi, a report by French newspaper L'Equipe, as translated by Sport Witness, has shared the latest on Chelsea's pursuit for the attacker.
According to their information, Boehly has "drawn a first offer" for the Montpellier star, which amounts to around £23.5 million (excluding bonuses). The bid, though, was rejected out of hand.
The Ligue 1 side remain open to talks with Chelsea over Wahi but it looks like they made need to improve their offer. After all of these talks, Wahi is apparently focused on joining Pochettino and wants to do so "quickly".
How good is Elye Wahi?
Having scored 19 goals whilst assisting a further five in 33 league appearances last season (WhoScored), we believe Wahi could be an excellent coup for the west Londoners.
The 20-year-old, for his performances across the channel, has been praised by members of the media with Diario AS reporter Andrés Onrubia Ramos taking to Twitter in awe of Wahi.
"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos.
"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."
