West Ham eye move for Lens striker Elye Wahi | OneFootball

West Ham United have added RC Lens striker Elye Wahi to their extensive summer shortlist as part of Julen Lopetegui’s plans to strengthen his attacking ranks.

According to The Athletic, the Irons are interested in Wahi but have not made a formal bid to sign the French striker.

Wahi was previously linked with a move to the Premier League amid interest from Chelsea, but he decided to join Ligue 1 overachievers RC Lens.

However, he could be on the move away from the Stade Bollaert-Delelis after just 12 months, and West Ham are among several clubs looking to sign him this summer.

The 21-year-old broke through at Montpellier, announcing himself as one of the finest strikers in the French top flight after notching 19 goals and six assists in 33 league games.

He struggled to replicate those numbers at Lens, but he still had an impressive debut season, bagging 12 goals and four assists in 37 appearances across all competitions.

At just 21, Wahi’s ceiling is very high, and he could be a bargain acquisition for whichever club wins the race for his signature this summer.

Considering he only joined the club last summer, Lens may be reluctant to sell, but we should be looking to test their resolve with a formal proposal.

Wahi is a better target than Duran

In our search for a new striker to lead the line, several names have been linked with a move to the London Stadium, including Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri, Newcastle United’s Callum Wilson, and Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

Lopetegui is keen to reunite with En-Nesyri in East London, having worked with the Moroccan striker at Sevilla. The Spanish club are also desperate to sell, but there hasn’t been a formal bid.

Wilson is already on the other side of 30, and his injury record struggles to inspire confidence despite his undoubted quality and Premier League experience.

Duran appears to be our primary target now. While he could be an exciting addition to the squad, we may be better off investing in Wahi, given his proven goal-scoring track record.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com