West Ham United plans already in place for Julen Lopetegui project amid Said Benrahma update
West Ham United’s head of recruitment Tim Steidten is already beginning to put transfer plans in place beyond the end of the summer window.
It is understood that the Hammers have included a 10 per cent sell-on clause in Said Benrahma’s permanent move to Lyon this summer, according to the French club.
In an official statement on the Ligue 1 side’s website on Sunday (30 June) they confirmed the permanent acquisition of the Algerian winger for a £12.4million fee following his loan spell with the club last season.
At the bottom of the announcement, Lyon confirmed that the Hammers would be entitled to 10 per cent of the capital gain should Benrahama depart the club permanently in future transfer windows.
How much did West Ham United get for Said Benrahma’s Lyon transfer?
While a 10 per cent sell-on isn’t the biggest clause in the world, it is some more smart business by West Ham as they look to maximise the value of their outgoing players this summer to help fund potential incoming deals.
Whether or not Benrahma will perform to the level required to turn a profit for Lyon in the future remains to be seen. If he has a good first full season in France it could well be enough for a bigger team to take a punt on his signature.
Ultimately, this shows that Steidten and his recruitment team are already planning beyond the summer transfer window at the London Stadium as they begin to prepare for the long-term project under Julen Lopetegui.
However, the priority for the German and Lopetegui between now and the start of next season has to be adding to their attacking ranks, particularly in the wide areas where the Algerian’s absence was felt in the second half of last term.
Luis Guilherme is an exciting start and should he hit the heights expected of him in the future, he appears to have the ability to make a major impact in claret and blue. But the Irons need one or two more proven additions on top of that.
Hopefully, the Irons’ attention isn’t diverted too far away from the start of the season so that they can ensure Lopetegui’s squad is in the best possible state for the opening game of the campaign.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have been handed a boost in the summer transfer race for Sunderland star Jack Clarke
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