Mercato: Saïd Benrahma is (finally) an OL player (official)

This time it's the right one. Expected on Thursday, the last day of the transfer window, the signing of Saïd Benrahma (28 years old) in Lyon is made official this Friday. Recall of facts. OL had completed the arrival, on loan with an option to buy, of the West Ham player. John Textor's club explained late Thursday that it had “entered all administrative data on the dedicated FIFA platform (FIFA TMS)”. Not the Hammers. “In the absence of this reciprocal action on the part of the English club and following this incomprehensible behavior, raising questions, the international transfer certificate could not be requested before closing time,” we assure, denouncing “a profound lack of respect on the part of West Ham towards the Institution and the player”.

Note that Les Gones were not the only ones to complain about the behavior of their English counterparts. Same causes, same effects for Pablo Fornals, whose transfer to Betis Sevilla could not be validated on Thursday evening. Like the Andalusian club, OL nevertheless turned to FIFA. Confidence was essential during the day. “It seems that Fifa has accepted for the moment the validation of the documents concerning the transfer of Saïd Benrahma. Our efforts are paying off,” declared the general director of Lyon, Laurent Prud’homme, at a press conference. And to conclude: “We are not going to give up, but our efforts will probably pay off.”

In this case, those of Betis had already paid: Fornals is officially a Sevillian player. This is now also the case for the 28-year-old Algerian international winger (21 caps, 1 goal). After Fifa, the English Federation validated the deal with the FFF. This was the last element that was missing. From then on, nothing stood in the way of the signing of the ex-Nice, Angers, Gazélec and Châteauroux player, he who crossed the Channel in 2018 to play for Brentford before signing for West Ham in 2020 ( 155 matches, 24 goals).

There is talk of a “payable loan in the amount of £5.1 million (approximately €6 million) (which) is accompanied by a purchase option of £12.3 million (approximately €14.4 million) and of a 10% profit-sharing on the capital gain in the case of a possible future transfer,” we assure. After Malick Fofana (La Gantoise), Gift Orban (La Gantoise), Adryelson (Botafogo), Lucas Perri (Botafogo), Nemanja Matic (Rennes) and Orel Mangala (Nottingham Forest), OL will thus complete its recruitment in the direction of arrivals. Skelly Alvero (Werder), Rémy Riou (Paris FC), Jeffinho (Botafogo), Tino Kadewere (Nantes), Mamadou Sarr (Molenbeek), Achraf Laâziri (Dunkirk) and Diego Moreira (Chelsea) have left. In a generally calm transfer window, OL have made a significant change. Not luxury when we're talking about 16th in the Ligue 1 standings.