Don Hutchison has told ESPN that Said Benrahma is ‘the one’ to buy from the Championship, as the likes of Arsenal, Leeds and Aston Villa circle for his signature.
Brentford missed out on the chance to earn promotion to the Premier League on Tuesday, which makes it more likely that they will lose their wing wizard this summer.
The Daily Mail previously noted that Arsenal, and newly-promoted Leeds, are keen on Benrahma’s signature, whilst the Sunday Mirror (02/08 page 66) have claimed that Villa have also entered the race for the trickster.
Benrahma has proven that he is now too good to be plying his trade in the second-tier, as Hutchison, the former Liverpool and Everton midfielder, was asked whether he is good enough for England’s top-flight.
“I think he is [a Premier League player],” Hutchison told ESPN. “I think Thomas Frank at Brentford has done a terrific job in bringing him on.
“I had not seen him play before he came to Brentford and he looks a fantastic player. He was quite anonymous in the play-off final. He didn’t have a good game.
“But you can still see little flashes when he plays on that left-hand side. He goes to the byline, once he chops inside onto his right foot, he’s got that shot where he whips it into the top corner.
“It would be a shame for Brentford moving into their stadium if they don’t keep hold of him. But when I looked at the majority of their players, he was the one who stood out for me. If someone from the Premier League wants to take a chance on someone from the Championship then Benrahama would be the one.”
It will be interesting to see who wins the race for Benrahma’s signature because whoever gets him will have a serious talent on their hands.
Villa boss, Dean Smith, purchased the Algerian winger when he was the manager at Griffin Park, and he may hold an advantage over his rivals.
But another aspect of who will sign him may could down to the money. Brentford have been used to losing their star players in recent years, but Benrahma has perhaps been the best of the lot.
Therefore, it may take a quite hefty fee to secure his signature and it will then depend on who is willing to take that big-money risk.
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