Elye Wahi was already being discussed as a successor to Randal Kolo Muani in the summer of 2023. A year and a half later, the striker is to follow in the footsteps of Omar Marmoush. The transfer is not yet complete, but an agreement between Frankfurt and Olympique Marseille is in sight.
In recent days, it has become clear that Elye Wahi (22) is the preferred solution to succeed Omar Marmoush in attack. Although names such as Arnaud Kalimuendo (23, Stade Rennes) and Mathias Kvistgaarden (22, Bröndby) were also discussed, Wahi was apparently in the pole position.
The transfer is not yet finalized, but there are strong indications that Frankfurt and Marseille can agree on a base transfer fee in the region of 20 million euros. Bonuses could increase the transfer fee by a further five million.
After the 2-0 win against Ferencvaros Budapest, sports director Markus Krösche also commented indirectly on RTL. He avoided mentioning Wahi’s name, but confirmed that they were keeping their eyes open and said meaningfully that they would see what would “happen in the next few hours”.
Why the Wahi transfer did not materialize in 2023
Eintracht had already shown a great deal of interest in Wahi a year and a half ago. At the time, coach Dino Toppmöller had already spoken with the young striker. But the gum-poker over Randal Kolo Muani, who only transferred to Paris at the very last minute, prevented Wahi from being hired. The then CFO Oliver Frankenbach explained: “We decided against it because we believe that if we make advance payments to a player of this caliber, it weakens our situation on the transfer side. With a move of that magnitude, we would probably have felt more pressure to release players. That would have destroyed the prices.”
Wahi was one of the hottest properties on the French market at the time. In the 2022/23 season, the fast, technically adept, extremely agile and clinical striker scored 19 goals for Montpellier in 33 league games. He needed only 3.3 shots on goal per goal, making him the most efficient striker in Ligue 1. Wahi moved to Lens for a transfer fee of 30 million euros, where he no longer fully convinced. Half a year ago, he moved on to Marseille for 25 million euros. There he is no longer even part of the starting lineup, having scored only three goals this season. For the SGE, there would be a risk that Wahi would need some time to get used to the Bundesliga and get into top form.
However, it is also clear that if Wahi, who has scored 47 goals in 129 competitive games, had not suffered a dip in his career, he would not be on the market now – or unaffordable. The opportunity lies in signing a very talented player with great potential for added value. Wahi would not be a bargain at €20-25 million, but quality has its price, especially in the winter transfer window. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the attacking duo of Hugo Ekitiké and Wahi giving the fans a lot of joy.
