West Ham look to be signing Saïd Benrahma of Brentford for a deal worth up to £30 million. Does this make sense in terms of building the squad and club finances?
West Ham have taken their time in this transfer window, but it now looks as though they’re making a move for last year’s Championship player of the year Saïd Benrahma. But after selling a young promising left-winger, does it make much sense that we’re spending the lions share of our budget on bringing in another left-winger? Does it fit with the squad balance, tactical utilisation or managing club financials?
Squad balance
Well at the moment West Ham have no left-wingers at the club, after the sale of Grady Diangana and the loan deal for Felipe Anderson. So adding a left-winger on this front certainly makes sense. Even when we’re not playing an out and out winger in that position, having the position covered makes sense. When we want to switch things up in the future not having a genuine left-sided attacker would leave us hamstrung, so this does make sense.
However, why sell one young left winger to replace them? There is a slight tactical advantage (will get to that later), but it doesn’t seem overly sensitive. Plus, selling a homegrown and produced youngster seems to be a recipe to unsettle those still at the club.
Those who have been around him during the growth period now lose someone that they talked with about playing together and the future, and those still trying to progress through the club now lose motivation and begin looking around. It’s not the best idea to be upsetting both current and future squad players.
Tactical Utilisation
One positive that would come out of this is that Benrahma is a different player to Diangana, and it looks like he is one that David Moyes will favour in the current system. Jarrod Bowen is our current right-sided option, and he plays an inside forward tole, looking to cut inside and allow the wing back to add the width on the side.
Diangana is more a natural left winger, staying wide to deliver crosses into the box for forward players. So it is likely that Benrahma is going to be played more than Diangana would have been.
The big issue in my eyes is that West Ham are not currently playing a left-winger at all, because Moyes doesn’t trust the defensive capabilities of Arthur Masuaku at left wing-back combining with Aaron Cresswell at left centre back.
As such, Pablo Fornals is utilised on the left side of the pitch with his defensive work rate a key reason why. Doe Benrahma have that level of work in him? Or is this a sign that Moyes is willing to get forward a bit more and use a balanced formation in the future?
Club Finances
When the window started, we were told that we would only be able to buy if we sold. There was no budget for anything else. So how come we are reportedly spending a sizeable chunk more on Benrahma than we have made on Diangana (accounting for fees paid for Vladamir Coufal and existing payments made on Sebastien Haller) and still supposed to be close to another defensive signing? Either we’re not being completely honest about what we have financially, the whole sell to buy thing was a ruse, or we’re going to have to sell more players…
Plus, financially this deal is likely to line the pockets of one Will Salthouse, the preferred agent of the Davids’. He is Benrahma’s agent, and also reportedly profited off of the Diangana sale, despite not being the player’s agent. We’re out of pocket, and a fair amount of that money has benefitted a 3rd party. Is that right? I’m not sure it’s really what the club really want to be getting into a pattern of.
All in all the move is exciting, and if it is genuinely backing David Moyes’ tactical control of the club, then I’m all for it. I just worry there’s more going on behind the scenes that are dictating our transfer activity.