West Ham United grant permission for Pablo Fornals to open Real Betis talks as London Stadium transfer update emerges
West Ham have granted Pablo Fornals permission to open talks to seal his exit to join Real Betis this month, according to Sean Whetstone.
The Hammers journalist shared on the West Ham Football Twitter account (26 January) that the Hammers have given the Spaniard the green light to open talks with Manuel Pellegrini’s team, and it is reported that talks are now at an advanced stage.
Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo reported on 26 January that all that remains to get the deal over the line is for the Seville-based side to convince the Hammers to sanction a move for the Spanish international this month.
Fornals has made no secret of his desire to return to Spain and it had been thought he would have to wait until the summer with no bids incoming, but Pellegrini has offered him an early lifeline this winter.
Best for all parties
It’s quite clear that Fornals definitely isn’t the same player he was for West Ham a couple of seasons ago when he was one of the first names on the teamsheet under David Moyes.
Now, the Spaniard has only featured in the team because of recent injury troubles which certainly highlights how much his influence on the team has waned in under two years.
The arrival of Lucas Paqueta in 2022 meant his minutes in the side were immediately reduced, while further midfield additions have seen him slip down the pecking order at the London Stadium.
And when the Spaniard has been given the opportunities this season, he’s looked bereft of confidence and looking like a player who has one eye on an exit elsewhere. And he now looks set to join Thilo Kehrer and Conor Coventry in walking out of the London Stadium.
The Hammers were given all the inclination they needed of his intentions when he rejected a new deal last year, with his contract coming to an end in June 2024.
It’s best for all parties that this move gets sealed as West Ham now have the chance to recoup some much-needed funds from an inevitable sale.
It’s now down to the clubs to just find a reasonable agreement as he should still have a decent transfer value due to his age and his previous performances for the club.
In other West Ham news, Alan Brazil has gone berserk live on air over a Hammers controversy.
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