Lyon deal with West Ham United for Said Benrahma raises serious questions
Football finance expert slbsn has been left questioning how Said Benrahama’s transfer from West Ham United to Lyon was completed.
The Algerian winger ended his stay at the London Stadium permanently this summer as he completed a £12.3million move to the Ligue 1 club having spent the second half of last season on loan in France [Lyon, 30 June].
However, Ligue 1 is now reportedly in crisis mode after a new TV deal collapsed [The Athletic, 12 Juy] and finance expert slbsn is amazed that Lyon have managed to spend the money they have done so far this summer.
Writing on X on Friday (12 July) they said: “Amazing in this context that Lyon have spent £50m with Forest and another £15m with West Ham.
“And made other signings too.”
How much did West Ham United earn after Said Benrahama’s exit for Lyon?
It does seem remarkable that Lyon have managed to find the money for several big-name signings this summer, including Benrahma, while the rest of the French top flight appears to be dealing with something of a financial crisis.
Ultimately, the Hammers won’t be too worried about the club’s financial issues as long as they receive the right fee for the Algerian’s services and any potential add-ons or sell-on clauses are accounted for.
For them, the most important thing was getting Benrahama’s wage off of their bill.
At his best, the winger could be exciting to watch and added a different dimension to the Irons’ attack, but he hasn’t been at that level for a long time now.
Julen Lopetegui has already looked to replace him with the signing of Luis Guilherme and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see West Ham target one or two further attacking additions to bolster the ranks in the coming weeks.
Who knows, Ligue 1’s financial difficulties may aid the Irons in the future as it could reduce the competition for some player’s signatures.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers’ stance on a summer move for Eddie Nketiah has emerged amid links with a move away from Arsenal
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