OGC Nice make late push to bring Elye Wahi back to Cote d’Azur

OGC Nice are working to bring Elye Wahi back to the club before the transfer window closes, but Eintracht Frankfurt’s financial demands could make the deal difficult to complete.

The French club are understood to be exploring a move for the 23-year-old Ivorian striker during the final weeks of the transfer market. However, negotiations with Eintracht Frankfurt have not yet produced an agreement, with the German side asking for €25m before considering Wahi’s departure, according to Nice-Matin.

Frankfurt no longer appear to view Wahi as a central part of their plans, but they are standing firm on their valuation. The club have also rejected the possibility of allowing him to leave on loan without a purchase option.

That position is a problem for Nice, who had hoped to negotiate a more flexible arrangement. A loan deal without a commitment to buy would have offered the Ligue 1 club an alternative route to completing the transfer, but Frankfurt have ruled out that structure.

Nice are now facing a race against time to find a compromise before the market shuts. Club officials could receive additional financial support from Ineos, which may give the French side greater room to manoeuvre in their discussions with Frankfurt.

The immediate objective is to reach an agreement quickly enough for Wahi to return to the Cote d’Azur. Whether Frankfurt are prepared to reduce their demands remains uncertain, with the two clubs yet to bridge the gap between the asking price and the valuation attached to the player by external market assessments.

Wahi joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a contract running until 30 June 2030. His current estimated value is €18m, according to Transfermarkt, placing Frankfurt’s €25m demand above that figure.

The striker is reported to earn €3,770,000 per year in Germany, equivalent to 2,474,070,390 FCFA. That salary could also form part of the financial considerations involved in any move, although the available information does not indicate that an agreement has been reached on personal terms.

Nice are preparing for the start of their Ligue 1 campaign, with their opening league fixture coming against Lorient. The match is scheduled to take place soon, adding urgency to the club’s efforts to strengthen their attacking options before the transfer deadline.

Pre-match betting prices listed by 1xBet put Nice at 2.15 to win, with a draw priced at 3.45 and a Lorient victory at 3.20. Those odds reflect the betting company’s assessment of the match and are separate from the ongoing negotiations over Wahi’s future.

For now, the forward remains an Eintracht Frankfurt player. Nice will need to make progress on both the transfer fee and the proposed structure of the deal if they are to complete a return before the window closes.