Talks between West Ham and Brentford over a transfer for Said Benrahma are on-going, although an agreement is on the horizon.
West Ham have been linked with Said Benrahma all summer after the winger established himself as one of the best in the Championship last season. The Algerian scored seventeen goals and assisted nine more as the Bees challenged for promotion.
The need for reinforcements has been crucial since the close of the main transfer window. The Hammers let nine players leave the club including left-wingers Grady Diangana and Felipe Anderson. The position has been in the hands of make-shift winger Pablo Fornals.
The club, however, has only brought in two new faces into the first team. Vladimir Coufal and Craig Dawson have arrived from SK Slavia Prague and Watford respectfully. Ossama Ashley is another new recruit but has been placed in the development side.
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The deal was thought to be close earlier in the week, with multiple sourced reporting that a deal had been agreed. Some thought that a medical was to take place today once the player returned from international duty with Algeria. Those reports now seem premature, although the clubs are getting closer to an agreement.
It was suggested that West Ham had agreed to a deal. The Hammers would pay £17-£18 million upfront and £8 million in add-ons. This has now changed, and it seems that the club will pay Brentford in the region of £25 million, plus a potential £5 million in add-ons.
It was rumoured that the Hammers offered to insert a clause in the deal that would see them pay £8 million to Brentford should Benrahma be sold in the future. This amount was set no matter what the player was sold for. The Bees have rejected this according to the Telegraph.
Mik McGrath, a Football reporter for the Daily Telegraph, has said that progress has been made over a deal. This progress, as McGrath puts it, could mean that a medical for the player could happen tomorrow.
The deal appears likely to go-ahead before the close of the EFL domestic deadline on Friday. Benrahma could become the third most expensive player in West Ham’s history.