Marmoush successor clarified
©IMAGO
Eintracht Frankfurt has reacted to the departure of Omar Marmoush (25) and signed Elye Wahi (22) from Olympique Marseille. The 22-year-old attacker reportedly costs the SGE 26 million euros in transfer fees plus 3 million euros in bonuses. In addition, the French secure a resale share of between 12 and 15 percent. This makes him the most expensive entry into Eintracht in the club’s history.
After two good seasons in Montpellier, where he scored ten and 19 goals, Wahi moved to RC Lens for 35 million euros in the summer of 2023 to replace Loïs Openda (24), who had moved to Leipzig. He couldn’t meet the high expectations there, so a year later he moved to Marseille for 25 million euros. Spread over 14 games, the center forward was on the pitch for 595 minutes and was involved in four goals. OM coach Roberto De Zerbi operates with a tip, where Neal Maupay (28) is usually preferred.
Wahi’s market value has been in decline since his transfer to RC Lens in the summer of 2023. In October 2023 it reached its highest value to date at 40 million euros. Most recently, there were two devaluations during his time at Marseille, after which he is still valued at 25 million euros.
Since Markus Krösche took over the position of sports director in June 2021, France has been a popular transfer destination for the SGE. Wahi is the eighth professional from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to sign with Main since then. Hugo Ekitiké (22), who was signed after his loan for 20 million euros, also came from there. Wahi replaces him as Eintracht’s record transfer. The transfer market statistics also list Luka Jović (27), who originally cost around 7 million euros, between the two. However, Benfica’s share in the sale after the Serb moved to Real Madrid increased the sum to 22.3 million euros.
France expert on Wahi: “Similar qualities to Kolo Muani”
Joachim Durand, Content Manager France at Transfermarkt, says about Wahi’s career in recent years: “After impressive performances at a young age, he was unable to meet the high expectations at RC Lens. In the Champions League he put in some great performances that showed his potential, but struggled to fit into the team and adapt to the style of play. The same applies to his time at OM.”
According to Durand, Maupay was preferred over Wahi because De Zerbi appreciates his work against the ball: “De Zerbi prefers a player like Maupay, who is less dangerous on paper but is committed to the team and is involved in defense. He also criticized Wahi for ignoring opportunities too easily. Durand draws parallels to the most expensive departure in the Frankfurt club’s history, Randal Kolo Muani (26): “Wahi has similar qualities to Kolo Muani, especially when it comes to playing with space and depth.”