West Ham United might not have been the club best suited to signing Said Benrahma in 2020 – according to Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo.
Benrahma played alongside Mbeumo for Brentford and while the latter has gone on to become a Premier League star, it was the former who first made the move away from the Bees – who were a Championship club at the time.
West Ham signed Benrahma on loan in October 2020 before making it a permanent arrangement a few months later.
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The Algerian international proved a successful signing for the club. Still, Mbeumo believes his former teammate might have been better-served moving to another club.
In Mbeumo’s view, the “defensive” brand of football deployed by David Moyes at the time did not suit Benrahma’s game.
Speaking on the Zack En Roue Libre podcast, Mbeumo said: “It’s a shame because I don’t know if West Ham was a very good choice for him, after that.
“It’s fine, I’m not one to judge that, but when you watched how he played, at the time I didn’t think it suited his style.
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“It was quite defensive, they had a defensive style of play, and he’s a football player, he needs to express himself with the ball.”
Benrahma’s record at West Ham United proves Mbeumo wrong
So much was made about the style of football West Ham played under Moyes.
Indeed, the debate raged so heavily that it almost became a culture war. The Scot is the best manager in the club’s recent history and took the Hammers to remarkable heights, with a decline setting since his departure.
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Edson Alvarez of Fenerbahce reacts during the Turkish Cup Group C match between Fenerbahce and Erzurumspor at Chobani Stadium on February 5, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. George Earthy of Bristol City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Bristol City at Portman Road on January 20, 2026 in Ipswich, England. Callum Marshall of VfL Bochum 1848 looks on during the 2. Bundesliga match between VfL Bochum 1848 and SV Darmstadt 98 at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on January 18, 2026 in Bochum, Germany. James Ward-Prowse of Burnley applauds the fans during the Premier League match between Everton and Burnley at Hill Dickinson Stadium on March 3, 2026 in Liverpool, England.
Still, to pretend his football was easy on the eye would be wrong and the slide had started in his final season at the club.
Benrahma did manage to impress, however. He scored 24 goals while registering 20 assists in 155 games for the club – including bagging the opener in the Conference League final back in 2023.
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Since leaving West Ham, the forward has hardly gone on to hit huge heights.
Benrahma did not set the world alight at Lyon and now operates out in Saudi Arabia with Neom SC.
With that in mind, it’s perhaps fair to say that Benrahma’s move to east London worked out very well.
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