Elye Wahi’s Nice loan looks difficult to extend despite desire to keep him | OneFootball

Nice want to keep Elye Wahi, but the on-loan Eintracht Frankfurt striker has very little chance of staying for a second season.

He struck three times last week, a brace at Strasbourg then a penalty equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Marseille. “We would of course like to keep him, but we cannot hold talks today while our future is unclear, it is not on the agenda,” deputy vice-president Maurice Cohen told Ici Azur.

Wahi, 23, has 7 goals in 15 appearances since arriving in early January, having missed a month with an ankle problem. He became an Ivorian international in March and has helped Nice open a five-point cushion over Auxerre and reach the Coupe de France final against Lens on 22 May.

Frankfurt barely used him in the first half of the season, and Nice secured a loan while covering €200,000 of his €340,000 gross monthly salary. There is no option to buy. A permanent deal looks unlikely, with Frankfurt seen as reluctant to sell below the €26m they paid 15 months ago, and Nice aiming to trim top wages. A renewed loan is the only plausible route, yet that also appears complicated.

“I belong to Frankfurt for now, I cannot say more than that,” Wahi said on 16 April. Barring the unexpected, he is set for a first World Cup with Côte d’Ivoire, which enhances his market. Frankfurt could reintegrate him or cash in rather than loan him again. Four matches remain for Nice, who hope he sustains this form.

Source: L'Équipe