Ligue 1 giants Lyon have lashed out at West Ham for the collapse of a loan deal for Said Benrahma, accusing the Hammers of “a profound lack of respect”.
The Algeria international winger, 28, had been set to move on loan to the French side on transfer deadline day, but West Ham confirmed in the early hours of Friday that a move was “unable to be completed before 11pm”.
Lyon then accused the Premier League of failing to take the necessary steps to close the deal.
In a statement from the company, they criticised West Ham’s “incomprehensible behaviour”, saying: “Olympique Lyonnais is very pleased to welcome Saïd Benrahma to Lyon on Thursday to finalise his transfer from West Ham. The two clubs had signed a transition agreement and Olympique Lyonnais had received the DNCG’s agreement to allow for a graceful and transparent move.
However, at the beginning of the afternoon, while Olympique Lyonnais had fed all administrative know-how into FIFA’s compromised platform (FIFA TMS), West Ham had never introduced any technical procedures on their part, despite repeated reminders from OL and incessant mutual telephone communication.
“In the absence of this reciprocal action on the part of the English club and following this incomprehensible and questionable behaviour, the certificate of move abroad could be requested before the final time.
“Olympique Lyonnais deeply regrets this and this decision, which demonstrates a profound lack of respect on the part of West Ham towards the establishment and the player.
“The club reserves the right to initiate all appropriate procedures to validate the transaction at a later date and hold West Ham siArray accountable. “
Lyon, owned through Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings, added that they “reserve the right to adopt all appropriate procedures to validate the transaction at a later date and hold West Ham responsible if they do so. “
Benrahma joined West Ham from Brentford in October 2020 and his current deal runs to 2026.
He played in last season’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina and scored the first goal from the penalty spot in West Ham’s memorable 2-1 win.
However, the striker has failed to score in 22 appearances this season and saw red in the recent FA Cup defeat to league side Bristol City.
Meanwhile, Real Betis are still waiting to find out if the deal to sign West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals has been closed.
Ramón Alarcón, general director of Real Betis, explains the problems when it comes to making the signing of Pablo Fornals official. The documents were sent but a West Ham computer prevented everything. Now it’s the lawyers’ job. The confía. pic. twitter. com/eJtUFBtVWw Club
– West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) February 2, 2024
All parties must ensure that the proper documentation has been processed in a timely manner. The deal is a permanent move valued at around £7 million.
Details on this are expected on Friday.
Fornals was at the London Stadium alongside his West Ham team-mates on Thursday, watching on as they drew 1-1 with Bournemouth.
The Hammers will be back in action on Sunday when they visit Manchester United in the Premier League.