Said Benrahma signed for West Ham United on what was initially a loan deal in October 2020, with an agreement reached with his former club Brentford for the transfer to become permanent at the end of the 2020-21 season for around £25m.
The move came about after the Moroccan playmaker had impressed for the Bees in the Championship, registering a fantastic 27 goals and 24 assists in 83 appearances in England’s second tier.
While not reaching the lofty standards that he set at his previous club, the £22.5m-rated dynamo has still shown glimpses of what he can do during his time with the Hammers, despite often only featuring as a substitute, with six of his 11 Premier League appearances this season coming from the bench.
Clearly not trusted by David Moyes to play the full 90 minutes, rumours have started to swirl about a potential move away from the London Stadium, with journalist Dean Jones commenting on the 27-year-old’s future on Chasing Green Arrows, saying:
“I think that there is some truth to that, too [him leaving]. You know, Benrahma barely ever gets 90. I think he probably frustrates Moyes, like, I can see why he would annoy him, the style of player he is.
“I think you have to embrace a player like that. Like you’re either all-in or you can’t handle him because he can be annoying. But he can also be a game-changer.
“He’s a brilliant footballer. Honestly, I think if it doesn’t work out for him properly this season will probably look to move on.”
This update should be troubling news for West Ham fans, and the potential exit of the creative force dubbed “magic” by teammate Ben Johnson is something that should not even be considered by Moyes.
A similar mistake was made by the 59-year-old in the summer, shipping Croatia international Nikola Vlasic out on loan to Torino, with the deal able to become permanent if the Italians fork out £12.9m.
It was a decision that the Scot will no doubt regret, with Vlasic already registering three goals and an assist at his new club, in what has been a fantastic start in Serie A.
Another similar error in judgement was the sale of striker Sebastian Haller to Ajax at a £25m loss in January 2021, with the marksman going on to score 47 goals in 66 games for the Dutch side, eventually sealing a move to German giants Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window.
The undeniable quality possessed by Benrahma was highlighted in the recent 2-0 win over Bournemouth, in which he received a 7.4 SofaScore rating and scored his side’s second goal, while also playing well in the 1-0 victory against Silkeborg, his 7.5 match rating behind the joint-highest of any outfield West Ham player.
As such, the Hammers’ loss would be another side’s gain if the maestro was allowed to leave the club, and Moyes – and ownership group GSB – should not even consider it as an option.
