West Ham preparing to sell and replace Said Benrahma with new signing

It has been a quiet month for West Ham United as they are yet to make a senior addition to their squad during the January transfer window, but they are now reportedly prepared to sanction two departures in order to bring in a new face.

West Ham want to sell two first-team players

David Moyes has decided that he is willing to part ways with two of his current first-team forwards before the window slams shut at the start of February, in order to bring in an immediate replacement. According to Football Insider, the Hammers have deemed Maxwel Cornet and Said Benrahma to both be surplus to requirements at the London Stadium.

The report claims that both players are set to move on from the club before the deadline as West Ham are prepared to accept reasonable offers for them. It states that Benrahma has attracted interest from Lyon and Marseille in France, whilst unnamed clubs in Saudi Arabia are also keen on the Algeria international.

Football Insider go on to claim that the Hammers are then eyeing up a replacement for the winger to bolster their attacking options ahead of the second half of the campaign.

They reference two previous reports linking the club with moves for Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto and Ajax dynamo Steven Bergwijn, who previously played in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the Europa League side will be able to get a deal over the line for either of them before the deadline passes, or if they need to sell Benrahma – and Cornet – to fund a move for either of their targets.

Benrahma deserves to be ditched

Moyes has decided that the former Brentford sensation does not have a future at West Ham beyond the current transfer window, and it is hard to argue with that call when you consider his impact, or lack thereof, on the pitch. The 28-year-old, as you can see in the table below, has rarely contributed for the Hammers in the final third, despite operating as a winger and being expected to be a difference-maker in matches.

Benrahma did play in 35 of the club’s 38 Premier League games last season and contributed with six goals, four of which came from the penalty spot, and three assists.

This means that the Algerian, who was once described as “inconsistent” by journalist Josh Bunting, has managed two goals and four assists in his last 48 top-flight appearances without penalties, which illustrates his lack of impact from open play.

In fact, the £55k-per-week ace ranks within the bottom 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Men’s Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.05).

His inconsistent performances and lack of quality end product from open play may be one of the reasons why Moyes has decided to ruthlessly ditch him from the club.