West Ham United have stepped up their interest in RC Lens striker Elye Wahi by enquiring about a potential deal.
According to L’Equipe, the Hammers are now pushing to sign the 21-year-old who is poised to leave Lens this summer.
Wahi only joined the Ligue 1 club last summer in a £25 million deal from Montpellier and hit the ground running.
While he struggled to match his previous goalscoring record at Montpellier, the French striker still put up respectable numbers, emphasising his immense talent.
He scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, strengthening his reputation as one of the finest young strikers in Europe.
Wahi still has four years left on his contract with Lens, but he could leave the club after just 12 months, and the Premier League could be his next landing spot.
L’Equipe reports that at least three clubs in the English top flight are vying for his signature.
While West Ham are keen to sign him, they’ll face serious competition from Chelsea and newly-promoted Leicester City.
Lens’ demands will be key
Lens forked out £25m to sign Wahi from Montpellier just last summer. Even though they’re open to selling him after 12 months, the Frenchman won’t come cheap.
Wahi still has four years left on his contract and is a proven goalscorer who has barely scratched the surface of his vast potential.
Lens are in a strong negotiating position and will likely demand a premium fee to let the highly-rated Frenchman leave the club this summer.
The French club have yet to name their price but it will determine whether West Ham formalise their interest in Wahi.
The Hammers are still assessing other options after having two bids for Colombian striker Jhon Duran turned down by Aston Villa.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.
