“In a surprising turn of events, Said Benrahma’s anticipated move from West Ham United to Lyon has hit a roadblock, leaving fans in suspense.
While West Ham’s January transfer activity was relatively quiet, with Kalvin Phillips being the sole addition, exits saw Conor Coventry and Thilo Kehrer head to Charlton Athletic and AS Monaco respectively.
Benrahma, seeking more playing time, caught the eye of Ligue 1 side Lyon. The Algerian international, struggling for starts at West Ham, seemed poised for a promising shift. However, according to reliable source Fabrizio Romano, Lyon is set to appeal to FIFA after the deal fell through due to discrepancies in the Transfer Matching System (TMS) details.
Romano tweeted: “Understand Olympique Lyon will appeal to FIFA and release a statement after Saïd Benrahma deal OFF! OL are asking for an explanation from West Ham.”
Despite the setback, Lyon remains hopeful of reviving the deal through the appeal process. West Ham manager David Moyes hinted at the possibility of player sales to fund new acquisitions earlier this month.
Benrahma’s potential departure casts a shadow over West Ham’s recent 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, where a costly mistake by Phillips and a subsequent penalty saw the points shared.”