Brentford and Fulham beaten to 'magnificent' target as £15m deal agreed

Brentford and Fulham have been delivered a suckerpunch by news that Ligue 1 side Lyon have had a deal for West Ham forward Said Benrahama accepted by the club.

The former Bees man had been linked with a return to West London this month as links to both Brentford and Fulham were drawn. The Algerian has fallen out of favour under David Moyes this season and has managed just seven Premier League starts this term and picked up a red card in the FA Cup defeat to Championship side Bristol City in his last outing.

Benrahama had reportedly become a target for Brentford and Fulham with a 'cheap return deal' believed to be available for Thomas Frank's side. Meanwhile, Marco Silva suggested that any moves before Deadline Day would be very unlikely for Fulham after Tuesday's draw to Everton.

Benrahma had previously spent three years at Brentford between 2018 and 2021, before making a loan move to West Ham permanent for £25 million. During his first spell in red and white, Benrahma registered 30 goals and 27 assists in 94 appearances.

During that time Frank heaped praise on the forward, labelling him as 'magnificent' after a hat-trick against Hull City in 2020. The manager said: "He was magnificent in his actions, his touches and of course scoring three goals. It was a fantastic performance from him."

However, Sky Sports report that it is Lyon who have won the race to agree a deal with West Ham. The club has accepted a loan deal with an obligation to buy for a fee of around £15 million this summer. The outlet adds that Benrahma has not yet confirmed whether he is keen to make the move, which does provide some hope to any interested Premier League clubs - the forward's contract is set to expire in 2026.

Agreeing the departure of Benrahma will add increased pressure on West Ham to finalise deals for the promising Ibrahim Osman and former Celtic star Jota this window. Both have been linked with moves to the Hammers, who want to boost striking options, and the loss of Benrahma without replacement would be a problem for Moyes and his side.