Speaking recently on the HLTCO Podcast, Dan Cook discussed Crystal Palace’s reported interest in Brentford winger, Said Benrahma.
Since moving to Brentford from OGC Nice in what was a £1.53 million deal back in 2018, Benrahma has made 91 appearances for the west London club, scoring 28 goals and providing 27 assists along the way.
Last season, the £9.45 million-rated 25-year-old highly impressed for the Bees, bagging 17 goals and providing nine assists over his 46 Championship and Championship play-off fixtures, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.49, helping his side to reach the play-off final against Fulham, which they ultimately lost 2-1.
As a result of Benrahma’s impressive form last season, interest has been high in the Algerian over the summer transfer window, with Crystal Palace, Leeds United, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Leicester City all said to be keen on a move for the winger, who is reported to have an asking price of around £25 million.
However, with only a short while remaining in the summer transfer window, Benrahma remains a Brentford player, with no clubs, as yet, making a firm offer for the 25-year-old.
Palace’s reported interest in the winger is something that Cook discussed on a recent episode of the HLTCO Podcast, with the podcaster stating that, in his opinion, Palace’s interest is indeed genuine, although, as yet, the club are yet to turn their interest into a concrete offer.
He said: “Roy Hodgson spoke to the press before our game against Everton this weekend, and was asked directly about our interest in Said Benrahma. As he has done all throughout the summer window, he played innocent in terms of our chances of actually landing the Brentford midfielder.
“He said that he rates him, he said that he’d fit well into the squad, but that is the case for a number of different Premier League clubs. You look at the amount of teams that have been linked with him in the last six months or so, it doesn’t really come as a surprise to see that he is the subject of conversation with the transfer window drawing to its climax.
“It’s pretty much the same message from Roy with Said Benrahma, as we’ve been getting with Rhian Brewster. There’s genuine interest there, I think, from us, [but] it hasn’t materialised into a concrete offer, and, even if it did, there’d still be a fair way to go.”
Would you be happy for Palace to make a £30 million move for Benrahma?
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TIF Thoughts…
From Cook’s comments, it is clear that the podcaster is of the belief that Palace do indeed hold a genuine interest in Benrahma, although that interest has not quite flourished into a firm bid from the club as yet.
However, as Cook states, with the summer transfer window entering its final days, it appears that there remains the possibility of Palace actually making a move for the winger, so this is certainly a deal to keep a close eye on over the next week or so.