Lens could lose Danso to Juventus after Wah

RC Lens may have to prepare for further major reinforcements as they are set to lose another player after Olympique de Marseille reached an agreement to sign Elye Wahi.

This has led Marseille to drop out of the race to sign Arsenal centre-forward Eddie Nketiah following the agreement.

 RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins reported that Les Phocéens have reached a total €30m agreement – including €5m worth of bonuses – with Ligue 1 rivals Racing Club de Lens for the transfer of the France U21 international. 

This is good business for the Artois side as they will recoup most of the €35m they paid Montpellier in the first place for Wahi last summer. Roberto de Zerbi, after taking over at Marseille, had been in the market for a centre-forward following the exits of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Vitinha.

Having secured the services of England international striker Mason Greenwood this summer, Les Phocéens will now add Wahi to their ranks, which is expected to bring a formidable partnership. 

This makes the former Manchester United youth product the only Englishman at La Commanderie following Marseille’s decision to end their pursuit of Nketiah. With two strikers now signed, Marseille will hope the pair will hit the ground running ahead of their opening campaign of the Ligue 1 season away at Brest this Saturday. 

In a related development, Juventus have shifted their attention to RC Lens’ Kevin Danso after missing out on the signature of Jean-Clair Todibo. The 24-year-old recently completed his move to the East London club West Ham.

Foot Mercato reported that the Italian club looked as if it was in a pole position to secure Todibo’s services.

The centre-back, who is expected to replace Angelo Ogbonna, is thought to be prioritizing a move to Serie A this summer. 

However, the Italian giants were unable to meet Nice’s asking price, and West Ham’s persistence was the key as Todibo eventually agreed to join the Premier League side. 

Meanwhile, Juventus could face some issues in securing the signature of Danson due to their valuation. Foot Mercato reported that Lens are willing to let the centre-back leave this summer for anything not less than €20 to €25 million upfront.

Like the deal of Wahi, Lens are not willing for their players to leave on loan to spread the cost of the other team’s finances, which could be a problem for Juventus who are reportedly limited in how much they can spend immediately.