West Ham won’t believe what Lyon have done two months after signing Said Benrahma. West Ham’s old European foes Lyon made the signing of Said Benrahma permanent on July 1st after a six-month loan deal.
Given the unprecedented level of transfer a activity at West Ham this summer it seems like an age ago Said Benrahma left the club.
One of West Ham’s European heroes, Benrahma – who scored in that unforgettable final win over Fiorentina – completed his £12.3m permanent transfer to Lyon just a couple of months back.
Benrahma had departed West Ham on loan amid some controversy back in February – after the window had closed. Lyon lambasted West Ham’s conduct at the time only for it to emerge that technical issues had prevented the paperwork being completed by the deadline.
The move was eventually ratified, though, and West Ham were paid £5m by Lyon for the initial loan deal. Some West Ham fans were furious when he and Pablo Fornals were offloaded without a replacement being brought in, though.
The Hammers arguably paid the price too as their threadbare squad dropped out of the European spots in the second half of the campaign. West Ham won’t believe what Lyon have done to Benrahma. Now West Ham’s squad is anything but threadbare.
Nine signings have arrived with Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville ultimately being Benrahma’s replacement in a £26m move from Leeds. It came after the Hammers were linked with a host of left-sided targets this summer.
Technical director Tim Steidten has a cunning way of operating in the transfer market. The German uses smoke and mirror tactics by putting out several targets as decoys while he hones in on the player West Ham actually want. It keeps selling clubs and rival suitors guessing. And – as evidenced this summer and last – most of the time it works.
In total West Ham got £17.3m from Lyon for the Benrahma deal. The French club confirmed those details on its website at the time.
It’s a fair chunk of money for the Ligue 1 side to spend given their serious financial issues.
So West Ham won’t believe what Lyon have done two months after signing Benrahma. Lyon sign Zaha just two months after Benrahma deal. Benrahma has done ok since moving to Lyon in February but has not set the world alight.
When the Algerian officially joined Lyon on a permanent start of the summer window, West Ham were linked with Wilfried Zaha as a replacement.
The move divided opinion among Hammers fans who felt that Zaha was on the wrong side of 30 and his career on a decline rather than incline. It seems Zaha did indeed arrive as a potential upgrade on Benrahma in the end, though.
But at Lyon rather than West Ham.
Last night Lyon announced they had signed Zaha from Galatasaray on a £1.5m season-long loan.
“Olympique Lyonnais are delighted with the arrival of Wilfried Zaha, a talented and experienced player who will strengthen the attacking department of Pierre Sage’s side,” Lyon said in the Zaha announcement. This move is a damning indictment of what Lyon think of Benrahma’s efforts so far.
Former Hammer Haller also on the move on deadline day. The pair play in the same position, cutting in on their right foot from the left.
There will be room for only one of them in the starting line-up. So the former Hammers may be feeling somewhat disillusioned this morning. Many West Ham fans felt Benrahma was somewhat stifled by David Moyes at times after arriving from Brentford.
