The transfer deal to make Said Benrahma’s loan move from West Ham to Lyon permanent is in risk because the French club has encountered red tape, which might cause the deal to fail.

Lyon has a £15 million option to buy Said Benrahma, which is not an obligation, as many had anticipated.

Lyon is currently under a transfer embargo, which is expected to be lifted this summer, therefore they cannot activate their option to sign Benrahma without permission.

The Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion, France’s football financial watchdog, has been investigating Lyon’s transfer operations and payroll bill in response to financial anomalies in Lyon manager John Textor’s budget. Lyon will require the DNCG’s consent to permanently recruit new players.

Benrahma has been fantastic after a tough start in Ligue 1 and has pushed his way into the first team. Lyon is expected to activate the option, but if not, the player will return to West Ham. Whether that appeals to West Ham’s new manager, Julen Lopetegui, remains to be seen.

However, if the Hammers’ accountants had planned to use the £15 million to fund additional transfers, it might have an impact on their budget.