Arsenal in pole position to sign sensational French wonderkid compared to Thierry Henry: report

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Arsenal have interest in one French wonderkid who has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry, arguably the Gunners' greatest player

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on May 28, 2023 in London, England.
(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal have been linked with a young French forward who has drawn comparisons to Gunners legend Thierry Henry.

Mikel Arteta's men finished the season with a flourish, battering Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-0 in their last game of the season. But after finishing five points behind Manchester City in the league, Arteta is keen to make key signings in order to improve his side, with the Evening Standard claiming that a "physical striker" could be on the way.

Arsenal currently have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as options at No.9 but strikers continue to be linked with the Gunners ahead of a summer squad overhaul that could shake up London Colney.

Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on September 07, 2022 in St Albans, England.

(Image credit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

According to Foot Mercato, Montpellier wonderkid Elye Wahi is on the radar for Arteta, with the north Londoners leading the race for his signature. TribalFootball claims that Tottenham Hotspur are also in the hunt for his signature.

A leggy forward with an eye for goal and an ability to accelerate from a standstill, Wahi has understandably drawn comparisons with French legend Thierry Henry, despite only being 20. The striker is statistically in good company, too, with his scoring exploits.

The 20-year-old's 10 goals have made him the joint-youngest player in Ligue 1 history to hit that mark with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, surpassing the likes of Henry and Karim Benzema. 

Arsenal also have Folarin Balogun on their books, a young American forward who finished his season with 20 strikes on loan at Will Still's Reims in the French top tier. This would likely make a move for Wahi difficult, given that he is valued by Montpellier to be worth £25 million.

Montpellier's French forward Elye Wahi celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and Montpellier Herault SC at The Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France on May 7, 2023.

Montpellier's French forward Elye Wahi is on Arsenal's radar (Image credit: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images)

Though the Gunners have a rich history of developing young French talents, a move for another forward at this point in time feels unlikely. 

Wahi is valued at €25m by Transfermarkt. 

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Arsenal are ready for a huge summer, with their wage structure set to loosen in the advent of reaching the Champions League once more. Declan Rice remains the priority target.

Five first-teamers are expected, with RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakin, Real Madrid star Ferland Mendy, former academy graduate Yunus Musah and two more Manchester City stars all rumoured. Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid and N'Golo Kante of Chelsea have all been linked.

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.