While the transfer of Saïd Benrahma to Lyon was not validated on time, due to the fault of West Ham, the Rhone club’s appeal would have a chance of succeeding.
At almost every transfer window, there is a soap opera that ends in an incredible way. For this year, it is Saïd Benrahma the unfortunate one. The Algerian international was ready to sign for Lyon, he even spent the day in the Rhone city, but his transfer was not validated on time. West Ham’s fault.
“Olympique Lyonnais was delighted to welcome Saïd Benrahma to Lyon this Thursday to finalize his transfer from West Ham, explains OL in a press release. The two clubs had signed a temporary transfer agreement, and Olympique Lyonnais had obtained approval from the DNCG to allow the transfer to take place smoothly and transparently. However, at the start of the evening, while Olympique Lyonnais had entered all the administrative data on the dedicated FIFA platform (FIFA TMS), West Ham had never launched the slightest technical procedure on its part, despite the repeated reminders from the OL and continuous mutual telephone communication. »
West Ham also blocked Fornals
Unsurprisingly, OL immediately filed an appeal with Fifa. This type of maneuver is unlikely to succeed, and the international body has the habit of being intransigent in these cases, so as not to create precedents. We thus remember the serials Hakim Ziyech or David de Gea, with their unfortunate outcome. But the game is not yet lost. “In the opinion of those familiar with this type of business, the move is playable, even if nothing is obviously certain,” explains L’Equipe.
OL can rely on the fact that West Ham also blocked the departure of Pablo Fornals to Betis by not sending the administrative documents on time. “ I think there remains a chance that Pablo’s transfer will be validated,” said David Moyes, the manager of the London club, to the media this Friday. Can the same be true for Benrahma? The answer should come fairly quickly…
