West Ham Close to Securing Deal for Brentford Winger Said Benrahma
By Max Cooper
West Ham United are closing in on a deal to bring Brentford star Said Benrahma to the Premier League, with the two clubs working towards a transfer fee which could eventually rise to within the region of £30m.
The 25-year-old produced a brilliant season of football for the Bees last year, lifting them to within one win of the Premier League. Thomas Frank's side ultimately suffered play-off final heartbreak, and it felt inevitable that his talented forward line, including now-Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins, would be broken up.
And Sky Sports is now reporting that Premier League outfit West Ham are in advanced talks with Brentford, who could sign Benrahma in a deal rising in value to £30m. However, Crystal Palace also remain interested in securing the Algerian star's services, as the transfer deadline of October 16 fast approaches.
This comes after 90min exclusively broke the news that the Hammers had made an offer of £17m plus add-ons for the scintillating winger earlier on Saturday, while Brentford valued the forward closer to the £25m mark.
It appears that a breakthrough has been reached between the two clubs, which would see Benrahma leave Brentford after only two years at the club. The Bees snapped up the winger from Nice, in a deal believed to be worth a minuscule £2.7m.
He hit the ground running in the Championship, smashing ten goals in his debut campaign in England's second tier, before reaching new heights in his second year with the club. Benrahma took the league by storm, hitting 17 goals and leading Brentford to what looked destined to be a certain promotion charge.
But Frank's men fell away in the final weeks of the season, missing out on automatic promotion by the finest of margins, and then losing to Fulham in the big final at Wembley. The Championship looks set to lose its biggest star then, with David Moyes and West Ham hoping to profit from his endless talent.
