CandH Exclusive by Hughie Southon
West Ham are continuing “complicated” talks over signing Brentford’s Said Benrahma whilst remaining a big interest in Josh King should they fail!
Benrahma is being represented by his former agent Will Salthouse and new representative in the negotiations and although an £18 million bid has been accepted by the Championship outfit, we have learned there are still many is and ts to be crossed.
The deal is very much at a 50/50 state of play and as a result the King option remains strongly in the Hammers picture.
Should things collapse on Benrahma it is now certain the Hammers will go back and increase the £13 million offer they have on the table for King to around the £18 million at which Bournemouth value the 28 year old.
The Norwegian internationals and thoroughly proven Premier League striker – despite an injury over 37 days last season- managed nine goals at a club which was finally relegated.
David Moyes is believed to prefer King to Benrahma and it is also being described to us as a very straightforward deal to accomplish at the fee and personal terms required.
“Moyes prefers King”. What on earth is Sullivan going forward with Benrahma?? Never ceases to amaze.
Don’t worry Mikey, Brentford will NOT let Benhrama go for the rumoured £18 million.
Did you miss the bit about extras?
If he prefers King to Benrahma why are they not offering the £18 million that would secure King rather than the up to £30 million for Benrahma which is no complicated. Just more club bs and ineptitude in the transfer market, makes us look so stupid.
Complicated is a standard term it seems these days where our club is confirmed, if the fee is agreed and he is being represented by 2 agents then you can probably surmise where the complication is… if the club continue to insist upon using only preferred agents we will continue to have these complications going forward.
Also King and Benrahma are two very different players, one is a striker and the other is a winger no reason why they shouldn’t get both imho. With Benrahma are they really going to drop Fornals a player with heart and athleticism for a player who bottled it in Ligue1 and was awol during the play off games ?
Exactly. Benrahma has talent but is a floater, just like Anderson. He was invisible in the final promotion match. King can show Haller how a man plays.
Not that complicated I see welcome said! Way better than Grady and king although different type of player .
Can u give me anymore details Razor as you claim it’s not complicated?
Interesting as ex says benhrama is getting closer
it’s simply ongoing
An agreement is apparently getting closer
His words
Beggars belief. If true that Moyes prefers King there is not a lot of hope. Just who picks the team No wonder we are becoming the untouchables !
Should be going for the player that the manager wants, not the one who has the ‘favoured agent.’ Sullivan is effectively undermining Moyes here.
I make Moyes right in terms of who we should sign out of the two. King is proven in the top flight and can play both up top and out wide so would be a very useful addition to the squad. Just a gut feeling but I reckon Benrahma may well turn out to be the next Taraabt or Knockaert personally.
If Moyes wants King then Sullivan should be putting his efforts into signing him. Doesn’t matter how good Benrahma is – there’s no point signing him if he doesn’t fit into the system that Moyes is trying to implement.
Our current system of 3 at the back with wing-backs suits the players we have available and it’s working well at present. We are currently quite dependent on the Rice/Soucek axis and the pace and power of Antonio up front, but where you find like-for-like replacements for these, I don’t know. The rest of the first 11 are playing superbly as well, but we lose impact without Antonio and moving Rice back as an emergency centre-back devalues our midfield. I think we need some cover at the back, midfield and upfront but not at any price and certainly not without some pace and work-rate. We also need a squad with flexibility so we can change things during a game or through injury or suspension. What works against Leicester may not work against Burnley. Whether we end up signing King or Benrahma or neither, what we don’t need are players who don’t work hard on the pitch or are injury-prone. I just hope it’s Moyes’s call.
Seriously Moyes prefers king to Ben? That’s a joke eh ? Benrahma is different player true but different class also and let’s hope we get that done as for king only nine months on the contract and only worth 10mill tops with that one . Can be disinterested at times playing but worth a punt for back up for sure but no way better than Antonio as a forward. Would like the stupid transfer talk of the snail Dawson as we already have cresswell and oggy with no pace now . Rodin would be nice if not wait moysie till Jan not long off is it .
Apparently the King deal is dead according to other sources. Bournemouth wanted 18 million and our gaffers have offered 13 million. Sound familiar??
I agree with most of you is that we should go for King rather than Benrahma. It’s a striker we really need to back up Antonio. In no circumstances should we sacrifice Fornals, he is a player I really like and he will be an asset to the team. He is playing really well at the moment after his burnt out season last season. I have had faith in him right from the start. Get King and look for two more defenders and we will have a cracking squad. If, and I say if Sullivan is going above Moyes’s head, I can see Moyes walking away from the club and the fans will turn up the heat against he board.
Please explain where you get your information that moyes has to choose between Benrahma and king? Two different types of players, two different positions and neither probably in positions that the manager was prioritising before the window opened.
Please also explain is behrahma becoming complicated as in too expensive maybe because other clubs want him like Crystal Palace who are prepared to pay the going rate. And because salthouse offers players to Crystal Palace as well as to us. OR is it becoming complicated because we need to sign defensive players as a priority?
What seems complicated is why him? King is a striker – we need a striker! DM prefers King – so is Mr Sullivan playing Mr Bigstuff again? It’s like a bloody music hall joke.
And yet in multiple media outlets its being called a done deal with a medical on Wednesday.
But it wouldnt be West Ham if it wasn’t “complicated”. Then again if it falls through someone else will step in and complete the signing without any complications at all.
Its only complicated because its being conducted by Del Boy, Rodney and Trigger.
Rather have Benrahma than king any day of the week. Best player in the championship, dmitri Payet eat your heart out.
Gah, King again, he’s not worth the hassle, he’s a diva, only interested in man u, didn’t look much like a striker, watched him fumble thru matches only to see him subbed off then Bournemouths Solanke starts scoring goals.
too much emphasis on bringing in players to instantly change a teams fortune, ask Lampard & solskjaer how that’s going, players need time to gel as a team & that’s starting to happen with West ham, haller needs to understand that, no room for divas.