Chelsea target ‘absent’ from squad as West Ham and Ligue 1 club edge closer to £34m agreement

Chelsea-linked striker Elye Wahi is not included in Montpellier’s squad for their Ligue 1 match this weekend as West Ham and RC Lens battle for his signature, according to reports.

Wahi has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after scoring 19 goals for Montpellier last season.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal early on in the summer transfer window but their interest in Wahi has never waned.

Chelsea reportedly had a €28million (£24.1million) bid rejected by Montpellier and the French club’s president, Laurent Nicollin, has previously said it would cost at least €50m to land the France Under-21 striker.

Nicollin appears to be willing to sell his star man for a little bit less with West Ham and Lens both vying for the player’s signature.

In the clearest indication yet that Wahi will leave this summer, Montpellier boss Michel Der Zakarian has not included him in his squad for this weekend’s league fixture against Lyon.

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Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis says Wahi is ‘absent from the group’ to face Lyon and will not play.

And RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins has provided an update on the 20-year-old’s situation.

Hawkins says both West Ham and Lens have ‘almost reached an agreement’ with the player and will pay Montpellier between €30m (£25.6m) and €40m (£34.1m).

Eintracht Frankfurt remain in the frame but will not make an offer until they ‘clearly’ understand what Randal Kolo Muani intends to do amidst links to Paris Saint-Germain.

It is added that Wahi’s ‘choice’ between Lens and West Ham is ‘imminent’.

Both clubs are competing in Europe this season. Lens are in the Champions League while the Hammers will compete in the Europa League after winning last season’s Europa Conference League.

Lens could be the whipping boys in Europe’s premier competition despite a very impressive second-place finish in Ligue 1 last term.

They have sold Seko Fofana and Lois Openda this summer, arguably their two best players in 2022/23.

The French side are yet to sign a direct replacement for Openda and Wahi would be a very ideal addition.

West Ham, meanwhile, are in dire need of a new No. 9 after letting Gianluca Scamacca join Atalanta after a single season in the Premier League.

READ MORE: All the Premier League completed transfers in the summer window of 2023