Chelsea are in the process of overhauling a squad that desperately underperformed in the Premier League last season, with new boss Mauricio Pochettino potentially eyeing another striker.
Who have Chelsea signed so far?
The Blues have added Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their squad already this summer – players boasting 28 goals combined in the Bundesliga and La Liga last season – while teenage wingers Angelo Gabriel and Diego Moreira have joined from Santos and Benfica respectively.
Those arrivals have helped to offset the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic, among others.
Chelsea are said to have made signing Moises Caicedo their top priority before the transfer window closes on 1st September, but Brighton & Hove Albion are continuing to play hardball.
However, Pochettino may have better success when it comes to bringing in another attacking player, as L'Equipe reports that Chelsea are preparing a bid for Montpellier ace Elye Wahi, who is reportedly valued in the region of €30m (£26m).
How old is Montpellier striker Elye Wahi?
Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, Wahi is already an established Ligue 1 player as he has featured 84 times for Montpellier, including 33 appearances last season as La Paillade finished 12th.
Wahi was directly involved in 24 goals across those 33 games (19 of his own and five assists), which puts him on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar. Indeed, only six others in the French top flight could better that tally – Kylian Mbappe (34) and Lionel Messi (32) among them.
Given his age, his already-proven ability and a reasonable price tag, Wahi looks to be a steal on the face of it. Indeed, the youngster may even be a better option than Jackson to potentially partner – or indeed, fill in for – Nkunku should he arrive.
The France U21 international scored seven league goals more than Jackson last season, doing so at a rate of 0.68 per 90 minutes, compared to 0.67 per 90 for the Senegalese, as per FBref.
Wahi was also slightly more accurate in terms of shooting accuracy, finding the target from 58.1% of his efforts, compared to 56.1 for Jackson, while there is also little between the pair when it comes to carries (19.2 v 19.5 respectively).
Jackson does pose more of an aerial threat, winning 30.2% of his duels in the air compared to 20.4% for Wahi, but the Frenchman's game is based more around pace and power.
That is not to say Jackson is not a superb player himself, but according to The Analyst, Wahi is already ranked in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues for goals scored last season and does not turn 21 until next January.
Described by Diario AS reporter Andres Onrubia Ramos as a "real beast", Wahi will no doubt be hungry to hit the ground running should Chelsea win the race for his signature.
On the basis of what he has already shown in France, do not bet against him challenging for a regular starting spot as Pochettino's Stamford Bridge revolution continues.
