Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Montpellier forward Elye Wahi, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his front line this summer.
The Spaniard will have to make sufficient reinforcements on a budget, after learning of the clubs’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) woes last month.
After ending the 2022/23 campaign as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers, the Old Gold will have a challenge in replenishing their strike options, however, Wahi could be the light at the end of the tunnel in that department.
As reported by journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter earlier this week, Wolves have ‘real’ interest in the 20-year-old hitman, who is reportedly valued by his club around the €35m (£30m) mark, as per Foot Mercato.
Despite being outside of Wolves’ reported budget of £8m-£15m, as claimed by the Telegraph, they may have to negotiate for a deal more suitable for their finances for a player that would undoubtedly benefit the side.
What could Elye Wahi offer to Wolves?
Dubbed a “superstar” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the young Frenchman could be a driving force in Lopetegui’s efforts to get the Midlands club back up and running in his first full season at Molineux.
With 19 goals and five assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances, as provided by FBref, Wahi could reinstall the Old Gold’s threat in the final third, bolstering the squad’s overall form and assisting those around him in replenishing individual performance.
Wolves struggled without a competent outlet last campaign, with strikers Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez failing to score more than a single Premier League goal between them, showing form detrimental to the club's results.
Scoring 31 goals in 38 games, Lopetegui’s side turned fate around after being bottom of the table on Christmas Day, to finish in 13th, equalling the clubs’ lowest top-division finish since their promotion in 2018.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in the Midlands regarding the Premier League, with rivals Aston Villa snatching a seventh place finish and booking their ticket to Europe in an emphatic season.
One major inconsistency between the two sides this term has been their individuals leading the line, with Ollie Watkins scoring 15 goals in the league for the Villans, subsequently boosting their form.
Lopetegui’s woes in front of goal could be over if he signed his answer to Watkins, with Wahi noted as a 'similar' play to the Villa hotshot, as per FBref.
The two forwards are very similar in their approach to playing, with the 20-year-old having the edge in the goal department, averaging 0.64 per 90 to Watkins’ 0.40, as well as proving to be a more threatening player on the ball.
As per FBref, the Courcouronnes-born gem averaged 2.04 progressive carries per 90, more than Villa’s forward who registered an average of 1.44 in this area, suggesting the added threat that Wahi could implement to Lopetegui’s attack.
Having a firing goalscorer that can boost a squad’s performance is imperative for a side in the top division, yet Molineux could add significant danger to the team by securing the talisman’s signature.