West Ham and Lens close to agreeing a deal for Elye Wahi

West Ham United and RC Lens are close to striking an agreement with Montpellier in their pursuit of highly sought-after youngster Elye Wahi.

RMC reports that the European duo are close to an agreement with Montpellier over a deal believed to be around €40 million plus add-ons.

However, neither club have received a pledge of allegiance from the player, whose next destination rests in his hands.

West Ham are keen to bolster their ranks in the forward areas, and they are determined to get their hands on Wahi, who took Ligue 1 by storm last term.

After registering ten goals in his breakthrough campaign, the 20-year-old rising star took his goalscoring prowess up a notch last term, netting 19 times in 33 league outings.

Having come through the youth ranks at Montpellier, the French side stands to make a substantial profit from a player who has announced himself to several European giants.

Despite having two years left to run on his contract, Wahi is poised to exit the Stade de la Mosson, but deciding his next destination could be quite the headache for the youngster.

Both clubs can offer regular playing time, but the prospect of plying his trade in the revered Premier League could give West Ham the edge over their French counterparts.

While the allure of the English top flight is not lost on Wahi, Lens offers the promising talent a chance to feature in the Champions League without leaving his homeland.

Suffice it to say neither decision will be detrimental to Wahi’s development in the long term, but both clubs have a challenge on their hands in their quest to capture his signature.

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The exciting France under-21 international striker is also subject to interest from a host of other clubs, including Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, and Paris Saint-Germain.