Brentford are worried that they will lose Said Benrahma if Premier League promotion slips through their grasp amid links with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Leicester City, as reported by The News.
Now, the ‘Moneyball’ approach only reaps rewards if you know a thing or two about the gaming transfer market.
Fortunately, at Griffin Park, the overachieving Bees have put together a squad full of bargain buys and misfits that even Billy Beane himself would be proud of.
With 17 strikes during the Championship season, including stunning hat-tricks against both Hull City and Wigan Athletic, Benrahma is perhaps the best of an exciting crop at Brentford.
According to FootMercato in June, arguably the most naturally gifted footballer in England’s second tier has caught the eye of Arsenal, Aston Villa, West Ham and more.
And, in their heart of hearts, even the most biased Brentford supporter will know that any hopes they have of seeing Benrhma light up their brand new stadium depend on whether Thomas Frank can secure a place in the Promised Land.
The buzzing Bees have been all-but unstoppable since Project Re-start got underway but, despite six straight league wins, they are still three points behind West Brom in the final automatic promotion position.
And the News reports that, if they fail to nab second place from under the Baggies’ nose or fall over the play-off hurdle, Benrahma could be on his way.
Portsmouth talisman Ronan Curtis, another fleet-footed wideman who loves to cut in from the left to devastating effect, has even been lined up as a replacement.
It seems that Benrahma will be playing Premier League football in 2020/21 – without or without Brentford.
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