Premier League duo Chelsea and Aston Villa have both been scouting Brentford’s Championship maverick Said Benrahma.
Aston Villa are leading the chase to sign Brentford talisman Said Benrahma, according to the Daily Mail, despite the fact that the fleet-footed Algerian also has admirers at Champions League-chasing Chelsea.
It’s always a good sign when your frontline is being talked about so much that is has to be transformed into an acronym. They may not be the BBC of ‘Bale, Benzema and Cristiano’ or Barcelona’s legendary ‘MSN, but the Brentford turbo-charged BMW is driving Thomas Frank’s side into promotion contention.
Alongside Bryan Mbuemo and Ollie Watkins, Benrahma has taken the Championship by storm with a tally of three goals and five assists barely scratching the surface of his impact.
The 24-year-old is arguably the most naturally gifted footballer in the second tier with last season’s staggering hat-trick against Hull City needing to be seen to be believed. Former Bees midfielder Sam Saunders even compared him to Lionel Messi (Sky Sports).
And despite claims that Chelsea have scouted Benrahma in recent months, as reported by The Mail, Villa Park is still the most likely destination for a player who is expected to cost at least £20 million in the January window.
Dean Smith’s side are still stuck in the relegation zone after their hard-fought 1-0 win against Norwich City on Boxing day with a lack of cutting edge beyond the exceptional Jack Grealish undermining the attractive, attacking football they have played all season long.
On paper, Benrahma’s ability to create something like nothing and tie full-backs up in knots should render him a big upgrade on the erratic Trezeguet on the left-hand side. And Wesley Moraes, the under-fire summer signing who is crying out for service, will be drooling at the thought of throwing himself onto Benrahma’s perfectly flighted crosses.
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