Benrahma: Should Arsenal, Chelsea or Man United have shown interest in West Ham new boy?

After a wonderful 2019/20 season — especially the second half of the campaign — it would have been a shock had Said Benrahma remained at Brentford for 2020/21.

Indeed, this was threatening to be the case weeks into the season with the maverick featuring in two of last year’s playoff finalist’s games, albeit off the bench. When he did start, though, it was to devastating effect.

In the Bees’ Fourth Round EFL Cup tie at home to London rivals Fulham, the Algeria playmaker netted a brace to eliminate the side that denied Brentford promotion in July.

The second of those goals, a Cruyff-turn nutmeg of Michael Hector, followed by a curled effort into the bottom corner, reminded suitors of his quality and, more importantly, end product. That game was held on October 1, just two weeks before the closure of the transfer window in England.

Having seen teammate Ollie Watkins depart for Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers talent Eberechi Eze leave the Championship for another top flight side in Crystal Palace, time was running out for Benrahma to make that jump to the big time.

Given he was many observers’ pick for best player in the second tier in 19/20 — although a strong case could be made for Eze, too — playing out another season in the Championship was unforeseen and will probably have left a bad taste.

Getty Images

As it turned out, West Ham United’s interest grew in the fortnight after he put the Cottagers to the sword in the Carabao Cup, eventually resulting in a loan switch with an obligation to buy next summer.

David Moyes’ side are getting a player with a knack for producing the unexpected, with his array of tricks, know-how and art. Importantly, Benrahma is more than just the showiness and backs that up with end product — evidenced by 17 goals and eight assists last year which followed 10 goals and 14 assists in 2018/19.

Of course, there are doubts as to whether the Algerian can reproduce anything close to those numbers in Premier League football, especially in a team where he may necessarily not be first choice in his favourite role on the left flank.

While the 25-year-old’s desperation to move to the Prem probably grew in those final weeks and days of the window, there’s a feeling Benrahma’s genius merited a move to the top sides in the league — Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United immediately come to mind — instead of the low-key transfer to West Ham.

The aforementioned London rivals were linked at some point in the extended window, with Frank Lampard’s men said to have been interested earlier in the summer. However, the arrival of so many talented and established players in attacking areas like Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, coupled with the presence of Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and even Mason Mount (who’s been used out wide so far this season) meant the West Londoners had enough bodies in wide areas.

As for Arsenal, it’s a bit complicated and slightly confusing. Mikel Arteta’s men added only Willian to their attack following the expiration of his contract at Chelsea, but there was a belief the Gunners needed more in wide areas as well as in a creative sense, especially as Mesut Ozil has been ostracised.

The complication was two-fold: acquiring someone of Benrahma’s profile would potentially have resulted in the tweaking of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s role in the side. The Arsenal captain is deployed as an inside forward role, due to his average hold-up and link-up play with his back to goal and lack of space in central areas, with Arteta preferring either Alexander Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as his central striker.

Bringing in the Algeria international may have caused a disruption to the Gunners approach and Auba’s role, although the frontman’s recent league goal drought has brought this up, regardless.

Another difficulty was Arsenal’s reported lack of funds for transfer this summer. While Thomas Partey’s Deadline Day move from Atletico Madrid immediately suggests the north London side indeed had funds for transfers, the intervention of majority shareholder Stan Kroenke in the Ghana superstar moving to the club proves the three-time Prem winners were operating on a shoestring budget.

Be that as it may, the fact West Ham have signed the North African on loan with an obligation to buy begs the question whether Arsenal couldn’t have pursued a similar deal if they truly wanted the playmaker at the Emirates Stadium.

For Man United’s part, the opprobrium the club’s decision-makers have endured during and after the window shut has been sky-high.

Getty

The Red Devils seemingly prioritised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s principal transfer target Jadon Sancho, thus ignoring deals for players like Benrahma and, a better fit, Watford’s Ismaila Sarr.

Many expect the Manchester giants returning for the Borussia Dortmund talisman next summer, so maybe their decision to play the long game will be rewarded in 2021.

Opting for the Brentford loanee, whose best showings in the last two seasons have come on the left would have meant inadequate minutes in his favourite position due to Marcus Rashford’s presence in the side.

The right flank would have limited Benrahma’s effectiveness, so maybe moving to Old Trafford was never a right fit.

Unquestionably, West Ham are set to be beneficiaries of the maverick’s dexterity, and glowing performances in his maiden year in the Prem will cause teams who avoided swooping to wonder what might have been had they taken the plunge instead.