Ligue 1 side Lens have confirmed the permanent signing of French striker Elye Wahi from Montpellier HSC.
The 20-year-old has penned a five-year contract with Les Sang et Or until the end of the 2027-28 campaign, and Lens have forked out a reported €30m (£25.7m) fee for his services.
Wahi arrives at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis to succeed last season's top scorer Lois Openda, who left for German giants RB Leipzig earlier in the summer window, and Franck Haise's side have beaten Chelsea and West Ham United to his signature.
Chelsea were understood to have been interested in a deal to bring Wahi to Stamford Bridge before loaning him out to sister club Strasbourg, but they failed with an offer of £24m.
Wahi was also alleged to have harboured doubts about the Chelsea sporting project and his role in the team under Mauricio Pochettino, while a reported €35m (£29.9m) offer from West Ham was unsuccessful.
Upon the striker's arrival at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens managing director Arnaud Pouille told the club's official website: "The signing of Elye Wahi is a sign of strong ambition for Racing.
💬 Arnaud Pouille : « Elye Wahi arrive en provenance d'un club familial. À Lens, il retrouvera cette volonté de vivre des aventures humaines et ce football authentique auquel nous sommes attachés. »#MercaTour2023 #FierDEtreLensois
— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) August 20, 2023
"He is a great hope of French football who hatched two years ago and who confirmed last season in Ligue 1. At 20, beyond his power and his high-level skills, he exudes a lot of character and maturity.
"Elye arrives from a family club and I also salute the quality of the relationship with the MHSC which has allowed a promise of the championship to continue to flourish in France.
"In Lens, he will find this desire to live human adventures and this authentic football to which we are attached. The locker room and the staff, Franck at his head, will put him in the best conditions to acclimatize, progress and perform.
"Introducing Elye to Bollaert made perfect sense, and like a wink, this location of the stadium where you can traditionally hear the horns of trains, comes to greet the arrival of a high-speed attacker! Welcome Elye, can't wait to see you in our colors on French and European lawns."
Wahi departs Montpellier following a five-year stay at the Stade de la Mosson, during which he contributed 32 goals and nine assists from 92 appearances across all competitions.
The 2003-born marksman found the back of the net 19 times in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, including a magnificent four-goal haul in an exhilarating 5-4 defeat to Lyon on May 7.
Wahi - who represented France at the recent Under-21 European Championships - could make his debut for his new club away to champions Paris Saint-Germain next Saturday.
