Chelsea are "leading the race" for Montpellier striker Elye Wahi and are expected to make a formal bid, according to journalist Simon Johnson.
Who will Chelsea sign?
So far this summer, a couple of major signings have come through the door for manager Mauricio Pochettino, with the west Londoners completing a deal for winger Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal most recently.
He joins exciting forward Christopher Nkunku at Stamford Bridge, after the 25-year-old signed from RB Leipzig in a £52 million move before him.
Chelsea are also attempting to agree a deal with Brighton over midfielder Moises Caicedo, with the Ecuador international coming as a top target for Pochettino this summer.
The Blues and owner Todd Boehly have done wonders to trim a bloated squad in preparation for potential new arrivals, as the likes of N'Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Edouard Mendy have sealed moves elsewhere.
Expensive 2021 signing Romelu Lukaku seems likely to depart as well, and in the Belgian's stead, Pochettino needs a star striker to lead the line.
The likes of Victor Osimhen and even Harry Kane have been linked with moves to Chelsea, but it is now Wahi of Montpellier attracting Pochettino's serious interest.
The Athletic reporter Johnson, writing on Twitter and sharing an article of his, says they're "leading the race" and are "expected" to make a formal bid.
"#CFC are expected to formalise interest in Montpellier striker Elye Wahi by making formal bid," wrote Johnson.
"Face competition for his signature but are leading the race."
In his article, Johnson writes that Chelsea are the "most advanced" side for his signature, with Montpeillier expected to demand around £26 million.
"The France youth international will decide in the next few days where he wants to go," Johnson wrote further.
"Chelsea are the most advanced in the race for Wahi, who is expected to cost around €30million (£26m, $33.6m)."
The Blues, planning to bid for Wahi, apparently intend to loan him to sister club Strasbourg if they manage to get a deal over the line for the Ligue 1 star.
How good is Elye Wahi?
The 20-year-old attacker was a star player for Montpellier last season, scoring 19 goals and assisting a further five in 33 league appearances (WhoScored).
Wahi's threat in the final third is also backed by his stats, with the player ranking among Montpellier's best for attempts at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons in the final third.
The starlet has been revered by members of the media also, as journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos explains on Twitter.
"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos.
"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."
Meanwhile, Pierre Ville, former Suresnes club president, told GOAL that Wahi was outclassing all of his peers from an early age – explaining:
"He was two or three years ahead of his peers in terms of what he could do. He quickly outclassed them.
"During a tournament that we hosted, I saw him score a volley with the ball falling vertically out of the sky, like watching [Zinedine] Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but the boy was just 11 years old!"