West Ham have agreed a £30m fee with Brentford for Algerian winger Said Benirhama.
The 25-year-old lit up the Championship last season, registering 17 goals and nine assists for Thomas Frank. Ever since the Bees lost to Fulham in the 2020 play-off final, speculation has been rife over his future, with several Premier League clubs linked.
Benrahma has been a prolific scorer for the Bees / GLYN KIRK/Getty Images
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds United were all thought to be interested in the summer but West Ham have recently emerged as favorites to land him. On Friday, 90 Minutes reported that the Hammers had submitted a £17m bid for Benrahma, excluding add-ons.
And now it looks like a £30m deal has been agreed. According to The Athletic, that fee includes all add-ons, with personal terms still to be negotiated.
Benerhama began his career with Nice, enjoying a number of loan spells between 2013 and 2018 before being snapped up by Brentford. Since arriving in West London, he has been nothing short of sensational, and will bring invention and flair to West Ham.
Welcome Benrahma ⚒
— Trevor Sinclair (@trevor8sinclair) October 11, 2020
After a troubled start to the Premier League season, the Hammers secured back-to-back wins against Wolves and Leicester before the international break. This fine form has alleviated some of the discontent among supporters, who had previously expressed their dismay at the club’s performance both on and off the pitch.
The sale of youth academy graduate Grady Diangana to West Brom drew the ire of Hammers fans, and there is also a long-term grudge against the club’s move to the London Stadium.
David Moyes, who will return to the touchline after a two-week absence after testing positive for the coronavirus, will be hoping his side’s run of good results continues next weekend when They will face Tottenham.