‘I think…’: talkSPORT reporter drops West Ham claim involving Said Benrahma – report

West Ham United winger Said Benrahma was a signing wanted by the board rather than manager David Moyes, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has claimed.

The Algeria international made the move across London in 2020, joining from then-Championship Brentford side on an initial loan deal which was made permanent a few months later.

However, since his arrival at the London Stadium, the 26-year-old has failed to establish himself as a guaranteed starter in Moyes’ starting XI.

This might seem like a curious statement given that the attacker started 26 games in the Premier League last season, Benrahma was substituted off no fewer than 22 times, causing visible frustration between the manager and player.

With reports suggesting that the Irons would be open to letting the Algerian leave this summer, a number of claims have arisen concerning his position at the club.

Crook has weighed in on the situation, as he told GiveMeSport: “He’s been more of an impact sub under David Moyes. He started the season quite well, but like West Ham, he tailed off in the second half of the campaign.

“I’ve never felt like David Moyes has been completely convinced by him, I think it was more of a board signing than a Moyes signing.”

Since arriving at the London Stadium, Benrahma has produced 12 goals and 13 assists in 79 appearances for West Ham.

Whilst these aren’t the best returns for a winger, his underlying numbers illustrate shades of potential.

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 26-year-old ranks in the 85th percentile for shots per game and in the 84th percentile for non-penalty goals per game (via FBRef).

Therefore, it could be suggested that, if the Algerian is given a run of matches where he completes the