With Arsenal constantly focusing on the future as well as the present, the stories linking them to Elye Wahi made a lot of sense.
The Montpellier forward has been one of the more exciting players in Ligue 1 that don’t play for some of the bigger teams, and that has caught the attention of teams in the Premier League, such as the Gunners.
As for how much he will cost, there have been some figures thrown around, but we are now given a more official one from Montpellier’s manager himself, Michel der Zakarian, who was interviewed on France Bleu, relayed by Made in Paillade.
Asked about the Arsenal target, the Armenian coach said: “The kid, he’s 20, and full of talent. That costs a lot. For me, minimum €25-30m. When you see the TV rights over there, England can buy him. It’s easier for them. Where he can improve? He needs to work on his volume, needs to run a lot more, always be moving and be in a position to repeat the efforts. If you don’t have the fitness…
“He’s a sprinter, he goes really quickly, but sometimes he’s knackered after 45 minutes. He needs to work a bit better, that’s everyday at training. If he wants to play in a big club and play with great players, he needs to work hard. He can go very far, at a very, very good level. Scoring goals like he does, you need to put them in the back of the net. What he does is good for his age, but I think he can do even better.”
So, Wahi has now been spoon-fed what he needs to do to ensure he gets his big move, whether that is to Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund or another bigger club in Europe.
Whether the Gunners will make a concrete move in the summer remains to be seen, but the general feeling is that a more intermediate step could benefit the player a bit more before heading to a team currently fighting for the Premier League title.
