Wolverhampton Wanderers are in desperate need of a striker this transfer window, with goal-scoring woes that could be eased by Elye Wahi.
The Montpellier striker was linked to the Old Gold earlier this summer, and could remain as a possibility for Julen Lopetegui to target following Wolves’ sufficient sales amounting to almost £80m.
Could Wolves sign Elye Wahi?
In the latter stages of June, journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter claimed that the Midlands club held ‘real’ interest in the Montpellier sensation.
Valued at €35m (£30m) by his club via Foot Mercato, the striker could depart Ligue 1 this summer, with news emerging today revealling that he has received interest from fellow Premier League representatives Chelsea, as per L'Equipe.
How good is Elye Wahi?
Wolves are in desperate need of a striker, as communicated by them cementing themselves as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers last season, having netted just 31 goals in 38 games.
Lopetegui’s side – inherited from Bruno Lage – averaged only 0.82 goals per match, with their favoured striker Raul Jimenez failing to net a single goal in his 15 game campaign.
Lauded as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Wahi scored over half of the number of goals the entire Wolves side last season, netting 19 goals in Ligue 1 at the age of 20.
In 33 appearances in France’s top-tier, the Courcouronnes-born gem contributed to 24 of his side’s goals, adding five assists to his individual goal tally to show his threat in the final third, via FBref.
The 20-year-old could be the perfect addition at Molineux, in a player that oozes a clinical swagger and a potency going forward, which are exactly the attributes that Lopetegui requires to bolster his squad this summer.
The Premier League houses some of the best strikers in Europe, and Wolves could harvest their own goal machine in Wahi, who has already been compared to one of the league’s top scorers based on his statistics.
As per FBref comparisons, the Frenchman is comparable to Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson, who ended his individual term as the league’s fifth-highest scorer, with 18 goals for the Magpies.
Wolves could land their own answer to Wilson in signing Wahi, in a player who could be fundamental to the club’s overall form, just as the Englishman has been in the North East.
Newcastle secured Champions League football with a fourth-place finish, with the help of Wilson’s goals spurring them to new heights.
Wahi could act in the way that Wilson has for Newcastle, with the 20-year-old averaging similarly to the Englishman in terms of average goals per 90, registering 0.64 non-penalty goals to the 31-year-old’s 0.72 per 90.
Having already experienced the Premier League highs to secure a European place, Wolves know just how important it is to have a competent figure leading the line, just as Jimenez once did, scoring 30 goals over his first two seasons in the league.
At the age of just 20, Lopetegui could reignite the flame in the attack at Molineux by signing the Montpellier gem, who has shown signs that he could cause havoc leading the line when called upon.
