Former Chelsea target Elye Wahi. (Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Former Chelsea target Elye Wahi, who joined Eintracht Frankfurt, claimed he did not join the Blues just for the sake of it and further stated he was closer to joining Frankfurt.
Chelsea had serious interest in signing the French star but missed out on his signature. Wahi enjoyed a prolific 2022-23 season at Montpellier, scoring 19 goals in 33 games across all competitions.
The Blues were pushing to sign the 20-year-old following his attention-grabbing performance last season but came up short in their pursuit. The French club was hoping to recoup €35 million (£30 million) from his exit, while the Blues offered way below that asking price.
The U21 France international has already made three appearances for the German club and has opened up about snubbing Chelsea. As he told L’Équipé, Fabrizio Romano cited his statement:
“I did not want to sign for Chelsea just for the sake of it. Frankfurt was close—and more than Chelsea. They had to wait for Randal Kolo Muani’s departure, and waiting for it was too complicated.”
He ultimately ended up joining RC Lens. Wahi rejecting us won’t have much impact on the team in any manner because we have signed numerous elite players this year. We respect his decision but right now, we have Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja — two excellent strikers. The 20-year-old may have also needed some time to get used to playing in the Premier League if we had signed him.
Given that he is only 20 and will need time to reach his best, it seems reasonable that he selected another club over us when it came to his development. Right now, it seemed that Chelsea wanted a new signing given Broja and Christopher Nkunku’s injury.
Upon their return, Wahi may not have been a regular starter here. Moreover, Lens had a real need for a top striker.
Lois Openda’s transfer to RB Leipzig showed that the French club can be a brilliant stepping stone for a young striker. Let’s see if we target him again in the coming years.
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