Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin has revealed that the French club has turned down an offer from Chelsea for Elye Wahi.

It was reported yesterday morning that the Blues had tabled a €25m (£21.4m) bid for the 20-year-old, who scored 19 goals in Ligue One last season, but Nicollin has since spoken out to say that the proposal was deemed unacceptable:

“The amount proposed was not up to our expectations.”

Previous reports have suggested that Montpellier would sell for around €30m (£25.7m) so Chelsea are not that far off the mark with their opening offer.

They may not want negotiations to drag on for too long, though, as it is believed that a number of other Premier League teams want Wahi as well.

At least three other English clubs have been credited with an interest in the forward

Arsenal have been regularly linked with Wahi over the past six months but signing a striker does not appear to be at the top of the agenda.

West Ham have also been mentioned as potential suitors for the France Under 21 international but Chelsea’s biggest rivals could be Tottenham.

Spurs are said to be seriously considering a bid for Wahi, with the prospect of losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich now becoming a distinct possibility.

Chelsea may have to do a lot of convincing to persuade Wahi

It is believed that Mauricio Pochettino’s side want to loan out the player if he does move to Stamford Bridge, with feeder club Strasbourg his likeliest destination.

However, with Tottenham and other interested teams likely to be offering first team football straight away, Wahi may not see Chelsea as the best move for his career. Some persuasion could be needed even if the Blues agree a fee with Montpellier for the striker in the coming days and weeks.