West Ham have now started talks to sign Pochettino target after Chelsea saw £24m bid rejected

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West Ham have now opened talks to sign Elye Wahi from Montpellier – a player Chelsea have already seen a bid rejected for.

That is according to TEAMtalk.

So, what is the latest on Chelsea target Elye Wahi? Let’s take a look…

What’s the story?

Well – according to L’Equipe – Chelsea had a £24m bid rejected for the Montpellier No.21 a few weeks ago.

The Ligue 1 side told Chelsea to pay £30m for Wahi – who is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge – although talk about this deal has since gone quiet.

Now – however – the Frenchman’s name is back in the headlines, albeit this time, West Ham are involved.

TEAMtalk believe the east Londoners are attempting to hijack Chelsea’s negotiations for Wahi as they look to spend their £105m Declan Rice fee on reinforcements.

Tim Steidten – Director of Football at the London Stadium – is said to view the 20-year-old as one of the best young strikers in Europe, and sees him as the ideal replacement for Gianluca Scamacca.

West Ham could beat Chelsea to Elye Wahi

In our view, Chelsea could certainly lose out on Wahi to West Ham – it’s a very realistic possibility.

Why do we think that? Well – according to a separate article from L’Equipe – the France Under-21 international is unsure about Chelsea’s plans to loan him out to Strasbourg, despite agreeing personal terms with the Blues.

Wahi is keen to experience life in the Premier League, and if West Ham offer him the chance to immediately play in England’s top-flight rather than spend a year on loan first, it could swing things in their favour.

Furthermore, the Irons can actually offer Wahi European football next season after David Moyes guided them to the UEFA Europa League, as a result of winning the UEFA Conference League.

Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Chelsea and West Ham compete for the French wonderkid.