BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Said Benrahma of Brentford in action during the Carabao Cup fourth round match between Brentford and Fulham at Brentford Community Stadium on October 01, 2020 in Brentford, England. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Andrew Couldridge - Pool/Getty Images)
According to Evening Standard, West Ham are very close to securing a £25m deal for Brentford winger Said Benrahma. The Hammers have been trying to get an attacker.
The 25-year-old Benrahma, who is of Algerian descent, started his career at OGC Nice back in 2013. But he could only muster 18 appearances for them. He was sent on multiple loan spells to Angers, Ajaccio and Chateauroux.
Finally in 2018, Brentford bought him permanently from Nice. Since then, he has solidified his place in the team, contributed to their cause and also made a name for himself in the process.
In 94 appearances for Brentford, he has scored 30 goals and assisted 27 in all competitions. His natural position is the left-wing, but he can also slot in on the opposite flank if required. Also, he has been capped four times by the Algerian national team.
A look at West Ham’s current squad will tell you that they are short on wingers or wide players. After the recent departure of Felipe Anderson to FC Porto on loan (source – BBC Sport) and the sale of Grady Diangana earlier in the transfer window, they are left with Jarrod Bowen, Robert Snodgrass and Andriy Yarmolenko.
With funds available from player departures, West Ham can’t give excuses to not bring in a player of Benrahma’s quality. He has already scored twice this season in 3 games. The winger was a vital part of Brentford’s promotion push that ultimately fell short last season.
Not only will Said Benrahma be a useful player for West Ham but he is also a requirement at this point. They are awfully short on quality and quantity in the wide areas. Signing Benrahma would add to the numbers for sure, but it would also add so much more flair and quality to the side.
He is good at scoring and providing. That is something that should pique Moyes’ interest as well as the club’s. With time running out, West Ham need to wrap up the deal as soon as possible. There is no doubt he would be a fantastic and useful signing for the club.
