Fulham make last-ditch approach to sign West Ham United star Said Benrahma, response emerges – Fabrizio Romano
West Ham have rejected a last-minute approach from Fulham for Said Benrahma, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist revealed via his official X account (1 February) that the Cottagers have seen their late approach for the Algeria international turned down after they proposed a straight loan.
Benrahama is currently in Lyon as he looks to complete a move to the Ligue 1 outfit ahead of the January transfer window closing on Thursday night.
As previously reported by David Ornstein via X (1 February), Lyon’s offer for the 28-year-old comes to a total of £17million, with that figure made up of a loan fee and a buy option.
No-brainer
This wouldn’t have been a difficult decision for senior figures at The London Stadium to reach.
There are two main reasons why it makes sense for Benrahama to join Lyon rather than Fulham. Firstly, by sending him out on loan to their London rivals, West Ham would have directly strengthened a Premier League club in the process.
While he hasn’t enjoyed the finest of seasons on a personal level, Benrahama is still a talented player and could have proved useful to Marco Silva’s side.
In addition to this, Lyon’s offer includes an option to buy, which will be West Ham’s long-term goal for the summer with David Moyes clearly no longer in need of the forward.
For Fulham, it appears as if Lyon’s involvement in the race for Benrahama has ruined their plans because had the French club not been involved, West Ham might have been forced to respond differently to the offer from Craven Cottage.
In other West Ham news, one player is expected to stay put at the club despite being linked with a move away.
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