According to L’Equipe, as cited by GFFN, Said Benrahma wants to join Aston Villa this season. The winger is reportedly aware of the Premier League club’s interest, with Villa already submitting a €16 million bid. Benrahma’s current contract at Brentford expires in 2022, and it remains to be seen if the Londoners accept to let go of their prized asset this summer.
Benrahma’s success at Brentford
Benrahma was one of the OGC Nice academy’s brightest talents ever since his move to the French club back in 2013. But, after initially being promoted to the senior side in 2015, he never really managed to make a breakthrough in senior football.
He eventually left the Ligue 1 giants last summer and joined Brentford for a fee of just €1.7 million. This proved to be a significant turning point of his career. Indeed, the Algerian enjoyed a blistering debut campaign in the Championship, scoring ten goals and providing fifteen assists.
Benrahma’s offensive combination with Neal Maupay made them one of the league’s most threatening attacking duos last season as they helped the Bees secure a mid-table finish in the table. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that both Benrahma and Maupay have been linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer.
What can the Algerian offer to the table?
Behrahma is an explosive winger, who stunned the onlookers with his exquisite control over the ball and superb dribbling skills. He can even be compared to his compatriot Riyad Mahrez, having completed 2.4 dribbles per game last season.
Aside from his technique and dribbling prowess, the 23-year-old is adept in creating chances from set-pieces. He delivered 109 key passes last season, more than half of which originated from either set-pieces or crosses. And this could especially be useful for an Aston Villa side who will be reliant on star recruit Wesley’s goal-poaching qualities next season.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
Where does Benhrama fit in at Aston Villa?
Aston Villa have already roped in Anwar El Ghazi (for a permanent deal) and Jota this summer as part of their attacking overhaul. Benrahma, in that regard, could further strengthen their wide-attacking department.
However, his potential addition to the club could force either him or El Ghazi to feature on the opposite flank since both of them are right-wingers by trade. Fortunately for Dean Smith, both of them are more than capable of doing that.
Tactically, Benrahma’s dynamism and trickery on the flanks could help him distract not just the opposition fullback but also the centre-backs, freeing up additional spaces for his teammates in the process. Besides, the Algerian’s chance creation in the final third will allow the likes of Wesley and Jonathan Kodija to become more productive. Hence, the 23-year-old looks like a viable option for Aston Villa as they look to impress upon their return to the Premier League next season.
