Speaking recently on The Square Ball podcast, Dan Moylan discussed Said Benrahma’s holiday video and compared the winger’s character to that of new signing Rodrigo.
Following Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League, the club have been linked with a variety of signings over the course of the summer transfer window, as well as already completing deals for the likes of Robin Koch and Spanish striker Rodrigo.
One of the players linked with a potential move to Elland Road has been Brentford’s Said Benrahma, who lit up the Championship last season, scoring 17 goals and providing nine assists over his 46 fixtures in the league and play-offs.
However, in the off-season, Benrahma shared a video on Twitter of himself spending some time on holiday, with the footage perhaps being a little self-indulgent, and speaking recently on The Square Ball podcast, Moylan suggested that this footage could have put Leeds off making a move for the 25-year-old, while he also compared the winger to the club’s new arrival, Rodrigo.
He said: “That is one factor I would say in the recruitment that they’ve pursued. When we spoke to Phil Hay, he said the Benrahma video actually did raise some eyebrows at Elland Road about the sort of person that you’re going to get.
“You contrast that with Rodrigo, who has very much arrived at the world-class level, and he just seems really, really humble. Did you see his farewell video that he did to the Valencia fans, of him sat in his apartment watching video clips and reminiscing? It was put together and a little bit contrived and a little bit cheesy, but the sentiment was actually completely correct in that he was showing them great respect and thanks for having been there. I thought in his interviews, he just came across really, really well, just like a normal guy.”
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From Moylan’s comments, then, it would appear that the actions of Benrahma have potentially affected the perception of himself at Leeds, and perhaps could have put the club off making a move for the winger this summer.
In our opinion, this is quite a sensible move from the club, as rather than just focusing on the undeniable talent that Benrahma possesses, it would seem as if Leeds are considering how a player will fit into their squad dynamic, which could be argued is just as important a quality as the talent a player possesses.