West Ham United transfer news as Ligue 1 clubs open January race to sign Said Benrahma
Marseille, OGC Nice and Lyon are all interested in signing West Ham United attacker Said Benrahma ahead of the January transfer window, according to L’Equipe.
The French news outlet shared on 30 December that all three clubs are monitoring the big-money West Ham star’s situation at the club after his limited opportunities so far this season.
It is believed that Benrahma already has an idea of his next destination should it occur with Marseille more appealing to him than Nice and Lyon.
The report suggests Benrahma’s entourage are looking for a loan deal with a purchase option, which can be activated if Marseille qualify for the Champions League.
However, the Ligue 1 side are cautious because of their current financial situation. OGC Nice are said to be monitoring developments surrounding Benrahma and have been for a while.
Best route
The Athletic shared on 21 December that the forward may well be on his way out in January and given the number of rumours flying around regarding his future, West Ham United fans could well be saying their farewells.
When West Ham United made Benrahma their third-most expensive player in 2021, signing from Brentford in a big-money deal up to £30m, many fans thought the Algerian would go on to become the star player they needed after losing the qualities of Dimitri Payet.
In his two years at the club, Benrahma has gone on to bag 24 goals and 19 assists from 151 appearances [Transfermarkt] and given his current situation, it’s highly unlikely he’d make another any time soon.
Benrahma missed a penalty against Arsenal in midweek, an area where he’s proven particularly strong in during his London Stadium career but the incident certainly shows his confidence is at an all-time low and he is desperate for a new lease on life.
The 26-year-old has also seen an opportunity missed in regard to the Algerian squad for the Africa Cup of Nations with the manager overlooking him for the competition next month and that is certainly down to his limited role at West Ham.
With January now just days away, Benrahma needs only to count down until he’s out of East London for good. French Ligue 1 seems like the best route for him.
In other West Ham United news, the Hammers have made a “100%” Moyes sack decision, with David Sullivan set to schedule a sit-down early next year.