Here is one nice, neat and tidy transfer story. No hearsay, conjecture, speculation and rumor. Said Benrahma is on the move from West Ham United to Olympique Lyonnais, both clubs have released official statements confirming the news.
While they did not disclose the transfer fee, widespread reports indicate that it’s €14.4m (or £12.7m).
West Ham United confirm Saïd Benrahma has completed a transfer to French club Olympique Lyonnais for an undisclosed fee.
We would like to thank Saïd for his efforts and wish him the very best for the future.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) June 30, 2024
The Algerian forward moved from East London to Lyon in January, on a loan deal worth €6m, despite West Ham’s failure to get their requisite paper work down in time. Benrahma scored 24 times across 155 appearances for West Ham, with the most memorable coming in the 2023 UEFA Conference League final versus Fiorentina.
Benrahma converted from the spot to provide the opening goal in the win that ended West Ham’s multiple decade trophy drought.
Le « tout pour la Mama » va se poursuivre…?
? L’option d’achat de Saïd Benrahma est levée ?
? Lire le communiqué ? https://t.co/lX6IGWnuHu
????????? ?’??????? ?? ???????? ?? pic.twitter.com/i1HFb4p1QH
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) June 30, 2024
It is good to see another actual done deal, in what has been a very slow summer transfer window. Once more teams are eliminated from the Copa America and the European Championships however, we’ll likely see more deals getting done.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.