Sources: West Ham could now sell Said Benrahma right at end of January window
The race for West Ham star Said Benrahma could run right to the end of the January transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
Football Insider revealed on Saturday (6 January) that the Irons have put off interested clubs by slapping a £20million price tag on the 28-year-old.
Benrahma is wanted by Lyon, Wolves and Fulham – but all three sides are believed to prefer a loan deal with an option or obligation to buy in the summer.
Crucially, the Algerian is not at the African Cup of Nations following a falling-out with international boss Djamel Belmadi.
He is therefore providing cover for Ghana international Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta, who is recovering from a recent injury problem which he has updated to insist is not a long-term problem.
With interested sides like Lyon, Wolves and Fulham all baulking at West Ham’s initial demands – it is believed Benrahma will not be on the move until late in the window, which ends on 1 February.
A well-placed source has told Football Insider that the ex-Brentford star is keen to leave the London Stadium in search of more regular first-team football.
He has notched just one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions this season and missed a penalty in the 2-1 away win over Arsenal last month.
12 of those outings have come as part of the starting lineup for David Moyes’ side.
That is a contrast to his role in the 2022-23 campaign, when he notched 12 goals and five assists in 51 outings to help the Irons win the Europa Conference League.
This season, Kudus has displaced Benrahma as West Ham sit sixth in the Premier League table.
In other news, £171m West Ham player transfer news confirmed.