David Moyes explains the real reason he shipped Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma out of West Ham
David Moyes has explained the real reason he shipped Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma out of West Ham in the winter window.
West Ham boss David Moyes has explained the thinking behind offloading duo Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma.
The left-sided midfield duo eventually sealed moves to Real Betis and Lyon after the January transfer window deadline.
Fornals and Benrahma were finding game time hard to come by in east London. And neither had pulled up any trees for the Hammers when given chances this season.
West Ham had to ship players out to make space in the squad for new signings and to satisfy FFP rules over wages-to-turnover.
Moyes explains real reason he shipped Fornals and Benrahma out
Widespread reports throughout January claimed Benrahma and Fornals would only both be permitted to leave if the Hammers were able to bring in a new left-sided attacker.
In the end both players departed but no new signings were added to the loan capture of Kalvin Phillips.
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With Lucas Paqueta out injured, West Ham have looked desperately short.
And even the manager admitted after the defeat to Man United that he is struggling to find a balance on the left.
Why let Fornals and Benrahma leave then? That’s the question many fans and journalists have asked. Especially as neither departure resulted in West Ham signing the replacement the manager wanted.
Now Moyes has explained the real reason he shipped Fornals and Benrahma out of West Ham.
Speaking candidly on the subject after the defeat to Man United, Moyes conceded he has left himself short.
‘They wanted to leave badly’
But the Scot insists he had to do the right thing by the players – who were both desperate to leave.
“Just so happens that the offers we got were for the two players (Fornals and Benrahma) and the two players wanted to go badly,” Moyes said in his post-match press conference.
“And because of that you get to a point as a manager and as a football club where you’re going to say ‘do we keep them just (for the sake of it)?’
“And both players you have to say haven’t had many minutes for the team. So it’s in part about trying to do the correct thing for the players as well. But also if the players are saying they don’t want to stay and they want to go, then it’s very hard to say no.”
Lyon have confirmed they are paying West Ham a £5.1m loan fee for Benrahma. And should they decide to make it permanent they will pay a further £12.3m.
The fee for Fornals is undisclosed but is believed to be between £5-7m.
