Six million dollars worth of hope

Ligue 1 strugglers Olympique Lyonnais have completed the signing of forward Said Benrahma on loan from West Ham until the end of the season. This loan deal, worth approximately $6.5 million, includes a purchase option of $15.5 million and a 10% of profit in the event of a potential future transfer.

Lyon announced that they were able to reach an agreement for the transfer on Thursday. However, the move failed to be completed at the last minute and Lyon blamed West Ham for the breakdown. In a statement released by the French club, they expressed their disappointment and said that both clubs had already signed a temporary transfer agreement. Thankfully, FIFA intervened and allowed the transfer to be rubber-stamped on Friday despite the transfer window officially being closed.

Hailing from Ain Temouchent, Algeria, Said Benrahma joined the OGC Nice youth academy in 2013 and quickly began his rise in Ligue 1. Turning professional in 2015, he was subsequently loaned out several times in France, representing Angers, Gazelec Ajaccio, and Chateauroux, where he scored 12 goals in 34 matches, drawing attention from England.

Arriving at then-second-tier Brentford in 2018, Benrahma quickly earned admiration, scoring 30 goals and providing 27 assists in less than 100 appearances. This remarkable journey led the Algerian international (with 21 caps) to join West Ham United in 2020, where he played 155 matches in just over three seasons, notably winning the Conference League last season.