Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Montpellier forward Elye Wahi, with reports from France linking the player to Molineux.
If speculation is to be believed, it could be a marquee signing for the Old Gold, as Julen Lopetegui faces the task of bolstering his front line this summer.
The Spaniard pulled off an impressive feat in keeping Wolves up last season, after the club sat rock bottom on Christmas Day.
Despite his hard work, there is still a long way to go for the Midlands side should they wish to return to familiar heights in the league, with a lack of goals weighing heavy on the minds of Molineux.
While Wolves managed to free themselves from the bottom of the Premier League table, they were unable to rise from the ashes of the goal-scoring table, ending the 2022/23 campaign as the league’s lowest-scorers.
Lopetegui could solve his issues by signing Wahi, who was speculated to be wanted by the Midlands club as per journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter late last month.
The journalist claimed that Wolves’ interest is ‘real’ with Jorge Mendes reportedly keeping a ‘hand on the file’ of the player, who has a price tag of around £30m.
How good is Elye Wahi?
Lopetegui must target a goalscorer this summer, which was rumoured to have been in the works earlier this summer when the Old Gold were linked to Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.
It’s now expected that the Championship marksman will sign for Portuguese outfit Sporting CP, meaning that Wolves must continue their pursuit of a goalscorer.
Links to Wahi are promising, especially after the disappointment of missing out on Gyokeres who had proven his worth in the second-tier last season, scoring 21 goals in 46 league appearances for the Sky Blues.
Despite flexing a superior goal tally over the Frenchman, the Swede played 11 more games than the 20-year-old, who scored 19 goals in Ligue 1, a league packed with some of the best talent in the world.
Averaging a goal every 133 minutes in the top-tier of French football, Wahi could prove to be a stronger option for Lopetegui to look to, possessing qualities that could suggest he has the edge on Gyokeres in terms of his suitability for Wolves.
Hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the rising star has been identified as having strengths in his pace and “explosiveness” by journalist Fintan O’Reilly, via Total Football Analysis.
The youngster's acceleration and clinical nature in front of goal could be vital for Lopetegui, who must get his side firing next season.
Wolves have plenty of creative outlets, with the likes of Daniel Podence averaging 1.90 passes into the penalty area per 90 last season, as per FBref, highlighting just how useful an energetic and clinical presence could be up front.
At just 20 years old, Lopetegui could capture the signature of a player established in leading the line against some of Europe’s elite, packed with confidence and precision in front of goal.
Wahi could provide the Spaniard with a chance to forget Gyokeres, by continuing his goal-scoring success at Molineux.
