02 February 2024 , 06:00
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Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola made it abundantly clear on Wednesday that he'd struggled to come to terms with the prospect of playing a match on transfer deadline day. The remark was a sign of things to come.
“It is really strange. I don’t like it. It is an uncomfortable situation," said the Spaniard. “It is going to be very difficult for everyone. I want to arrive on February 2 and know what we are until the summer.”
Though it's nothing new. Just ask Arsenal, who had to painfully watch Thomas Lemar score twice for France in a World Cup qualifier against Holland in August 2017 - hours after he rejected a club-record £92million switch to north London.
Circumstances were of course different here but it's an understatement to reflect that the final hours of the winter market still posed various challenges and disrupted preparations for the two managers on duty at the London Stadium ahead of West Ham versus Bournemouth. For the frustrated hosts, the drama was yet to come.
Hammers chiefs had spent the past two days trying to finalise the departures of Said Benrahma (Lyon) and Pablo Fornals (Real Betis) after both players were deemed surplus to requirements by David Moyes.
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Around one week ago, the idea was that both stars would be allowed to move on - providing replacements were sourced. That stance softened the longer the window rumbled on as it soon became apparent that deals for FC Nordsjaelland's Ibrahim Osman and Al-Ittihad's Jota were not realistic for varying reasons.
Both Benrahma and Fornals had been training at Rush Green this week before West Ham finally shook hands on a £17million package with Lyon - an initial loan - for the Algeria international on Wednesday.
Benrahma, who snubbed a late offer from Fulham, was granted permission to travel to France for a medical which was duly completed on Thursday afternoon following a small holdup regarding agent fees.
However, West Ham confirmed late last night that the deal had in fact collapsed - with no reason specified. A club spokesperson said: “West Ham United can confirm that the Deadline Day deal for Said Benrahma to join Olympique Lyonnais was not concluded ahead of the deadline, with a deal unable to be completed before 11pm.”
Said Benrahma's move to Lyon collapsedLyon are incensed and claim West Ham scuppered the move their end following a high-profile admin error after failing to enter the correct information into FIFA's administrative data platform TMS despite several reminders during telephone communication. The French club, who had cameras at the ready to formally announce the deal via a live stream, are now threatening legal action.
Benrahma, his family and representatives are understandably not best-pleased following the unwanted bombshell that preceded the manic scramble. He is now due to return to east London. The mixup is subject to appeal, supposedly, but after West Ham's dismal showing on the field - this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Moyes.
As for Fornals, he completed his Betis medical in London on Thursday ahead of an £8.5m switch (including add-ons) but eyebrows were raised around one-and-a-half hours before kick-off when he was spotted arriving with his West Ham team-mates at the London Stadium.
Fornals was absent from the match-day squad and was merely present to say goodbyes. Negotiations had been dragging on for several days in the background and West Ham were fully conscious of the fact an agreement was likely to be reached.
Pablo Fornals is joining Real Betis from West Ham (Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)That said, Moyes was still prepared to include Fornals in the squad for the contest had talks failed to bear fruit. A late offer changed the picture. Betis had initially been reluctant to match West Ham's demands despite the 27-year-old's burning desire to return to La Liga where he previously featured for Villarreal and Malaga.
Fornals spent much of the evening pacing the tunnel on his phone, waiting for confirmation the deal had gone through. He was formally registered with La Liga but that is understood to be provisional until paperwork is officially validated.
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Meanwhile, Maxwel Cornet was named on the bench despite late interest from Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest with West Ham seemingly not willing to weaken their already-depleted wide options any further.
On the basis of Thursday night's contest - West Ham's cynical approach to the departures of Benrahma of Fornals felt like a needless risk - one that could backfire deep into the season when injuries are likely to test the depth of their squad.
James Ward-Prowse - scorer of the leveller from the penalty spot - operated as a make-shift left-sided player and there was already a concerning lack of balance now Kalvin Phillips has been shoehorned into defensive midfield as he endured a disastrous debut following his third-minute howler.
In the opposition dugout, Iraola had several background obstacles of his own to contend with as Bournemouth's board handled paperwork with Getafe for the signing of former Manchester City forward Enes Unal.
Enes Unal sealed a deadline-day move to Bournemouth (Getty Images)The Turkey international arrives on an initial loan with an obligation to buy in the summer worth around £14m. It's an exciting, ambitious pull and an arrival that will ease the pressure on red-hot forward Dominic Solanke, who struck his 13th Premier League goal of the season in the 1-1 draw.
Fellow striker Kieffer Moore travelled to London with Bournemouth on Wednesday and was expected to feature within the Cherries' match-day squad. But that soon changed when Ipswich Town struck a loan deal with Bournemouth to take the Wales international until the end of the season.
Moore, who coincidentally arrived at the Vitality Stadium in the final hours of the window in January 2022, has become a deadline-day staple in recent times. Millwall, Cardiff and Norwich City all failed with last-ditch moves late in the day last September before he eventually stayed put.
James Ward-Prowse struck the equaliser for West HamThis time around it was Cardiff again who tried to re-sign Moore, making a big late push to hijack Ipswich's deal after the Tractor Boys pipped ahead of Sunderland in the race for his signature. The deal was announced ahead of kick-off.
Chris Mepham also stayed put despite late enquiries from Sheffield United among others while bizarrely, Gavin Kilkenny was named on the bench despite finalising a loan switch to League One side Fleetwood Town.
It was somewhat crazy and equally baffling that he was involved given Iraola seemingly had no intention of using him before he heads out on loan for the rest of the season but his presence just about typified the complex nature of playing a top-flight match on deadline day.