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Tag: elye wahi

  • West Ham could raid Premier League rival if chase for France U21 star fails

    West Ham could raid Premier League rival if chase for France U21 star fails

    West Ham are interested in signing Marseille striker Elye Wahi, talkSPORT understands.

    Wahi, who only signed for his current club from Lens last summer, is valued at around £25million.

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    West Ham are eyeing a move for Wahi this monthCredit: Getty
    Taiwo Awoniyi is another target for the Hammers

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    Taiwo Awoniyi is another target for the HammersCredit: Getty

    The 22-year-old has scored three goals in 14 appearances for the club but made only seven starts in Ligue 1 this season.

    West Ham also have Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi on their radar following Niclas Fullkrug’s recent injury.

    talkSPORT understands Fullkrug is set to be ruled out for three months with a hamstring injury he sustained in their FA Cup defeat against Aston Villa.

    Awoniyi was Forest’s top scorer in their Premier League comeback season in the 2022/23 campaign with ten goals.

    However, he has only netted a further seven since, with the striker missing a large chunk of action due to injuries last year.

    The 27-year-old has played just 382 minutes under Nuno Espirito Santo this season and made only two Premier League starts.

    His first and only goal of the campaign came off the bench in their 3-0 league win away at Wolves last week.

    West Ham currently have one fit striker in their squad, with Danny Ings being brought on for Fullkrug in the FA Cup defeat at Villa.

    Speaking on the injured German, head coach Graham Potter said on Monday: “It’s fair to say it’s a significant one.

    “Anybody watching the game, when a player pulls up like that you know that something fairly serious has happened.

    Hammers boss Potter is on the lookout for a new frontman

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    Hammers boss Potter is on the lookout for a new frontmanCredit: Getty

    “So it’s still early in terms of full diagnosis I would suggest, but nevertheless a significant one, a number of weeks.

    “Will it be months? A number of weeks probably adds up to months, yes. So yeah, I would say that.”

    The Hammers are also without Michail Antonio as he is recovering from a broken leg he sustained in a horror car crash last month.

    Club captain Jarrod Bowen is another attacking absence for West Ham with a fractured foot.

    West Ham have endured a tough season which saw Julen Lopetegui sacked as manager last week.

    They are 14th in the Premier League table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

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  • Arsenal, Tottenham learn ‘minimum’ asking price for 12-goal striker target who ‘can go very far’

    Arsenal, Tottenham learn ‘minimum’ asking price for 12-goal striker target who ‘can go very far’

    Montpellier manager – Michel Der Zakarian – has warned Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur that Elye Wahi will “cost a lot” if they try to sign him this summer.

    The 20-year-old has established himself as a regular for the Ligue 1 side over the past couple of seasons.

    He scored ten goals in 36 appearances across all competitions last term and he has already surpassed that tally this campaign. He has 12 goals in 24 outings in Ligue 1 in 2022/23.

    His recent form has led to reports linking him with a move to the Premier League. It was claimed during January that Arsenal were ‘plotting an incredible last-minute offer’ for the forward, who has ‘aroused’ Tottenham Hotspur.

    The attacker is under contract until 2025 so Montpellier are able to demand a sizable fee for Wahi if clubs move for him during this summer’s transfer window.

    Der Zakarian has indicated that Wahi is likely to cost around €25-30m if he leaves Montpellier later this year.

    “The kid, he’s 20, and full of talent,” Der Zakarian told France Bleu (quotes via The Evening Standard). “That costs a lot. For me, [he’s worth a] minimum €25-30m. When you see the TV rights over there, England can buy him. It’s easier for them.

    “He needs to run a lot more, always be moving and be in a position to repeat the efforts. He’s a sprinter, he goes really quickly, but sometimes he’s knackered after 45 minutes. He needs to work a bit better, that’s training every day. If he wants to play in a big club and play with great players, he needs to work hard.

    “He can go very far, at a very, very good level. Scoring goals like he does, you need to put them in the back of the net. What he does is good for his age, but I think he can do even better.”

    Bixente Lizarazu, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, thinks Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund “would be a good choice” for Wahi.

    “He has great athletic qualities, he’s really quick, really sharp, very good in front of goal. If he makes the right choices, when I hear Arsenal or Dortmund, I think that it would be a good choice for a young player to go to those clubs, to progress some more,” Lizarazu said.

    “Even if with Montpellier, he’s already improved enormously. It’s rare to see such young and precocious forwards, but that’s the case these days, and there’s a next level to go get, abroad, probably.”

    READ MORE: Arsenal have the best player in the WORLD but also grave concerns over next season’s kit

     



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  • Arsenal plot ‘incredible last-minute offer’ for €30m Ligue 1 ‘phenomenon’ who has ‘aroused’ Tottenham

    Arsenal plot ‘incredible last-minute offer’ for €30m Ligue 1 ‘phenomenon’ who has ‘aroused’ Tottenham

    Arsenal are reportedly among several Premier League clubs interested in 20-year-old Montpellier striker Elye Wahi amid his great form in Ligue 1.

    The youngster has been quick to make an impact in Ligue 1. He scored ten league goals last season and this term he already has seven goals in 18 appearances.

    The Gunners have been keeping an eye on his progress as it was reported earlier this month that they are interested in him.

    It was debated ahead of this window whether Arsenal should bring in a striker with summer signing Gabriel Jesus out of action for a couple of months with a knee injury.

    This left Arsenal short of options in attack but Eddie Nketiah has been in stunning form since the World Cup break. He has four goals in his last five Premier League games.

    Despite this, French outlet Foot Mercato are reporting that Arsenal and Tottenham ‘continue to follow him’ and they have been ‘aroused’ by his performances.

    Wahi is under contract until 2025 and the report suggests that it will take an ‘incredible last-minute offer’ for him to leave Montpellier this month. 

    The ‘phenomenon’ has become only the second player in Ligue 1 history to score 20 league goals before reaching the age of 20. PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe is the only other player to achieve that.

    Arsenal are said to have been tracking Wahi with the ‘greatest attention’ but rivals Tottenham have ‘come to supervise him in person’ in recent days.

    The report adds that Wahi has also ‘caught the eye’ of Juventus, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool during his rise at Montpellier.

    The French outfit have ‘absolutely no plans to him let go’ but it is ‘estimated’ that his valuation is ‘more than €30m’.

    Arsenal have spent around €50m to bring in Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior so far this month. They are also interested in Rayo Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda as a replacement for Cedric Soares.

    The Gunners are not stopping there as they are also want to bring in Moises Caicedo from Brighton. The midfielder has made it clear that he wants the transfer to happen and the Londoners have already submitted two bids. 

    Ex-Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood thinks Arsenal should avoid paying around £70m to sign Caicedo.

    “I’m not saying it’s entirely his fault but sometimes you can look a world-beater in a Brighton shirt [but] when they step up and play for a huge club it doesn’t happen,” Sherwood said.

    “You’re absolutely right, if everyone is fit [at Arsenal] he doesn’t play. We’ve dug out some highlights of his game there. Do you see £70m in someone that can run around and tackle in midfield?

    “I mean his passing range ain’t fantastic, scores one goal in a blue moon. For me I think it’s an awful lot of money, I think there’s better options out there for Arsenal football club.”

    READ MORE: Arsenal have a unique opportunity. Don’t blow it by low-balling Brighton over Caicedo

     



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