Barcelona want West Ham United ace Pablo Fornals with ‘beneficial agreement’ mooted
Barcelona are considering a move for West Ham ace Pablo Fornals, who does not have long left on his deal at the London Stadium, according to Cadena SER.
The Spanish news outlet reported on 20 December that given the status of Fornals’ contract, Barcelona believe they could come to a “beneficial agreement” that suits all parties.
This would likely see the Spaniard exit East London in favour of Catalonia, with the Hammers also receiving compensation or a direct transfer fee for the deal, particularly if it takes place in January.
A deal may not be possible
West Ham news source Sean Whetstone reported on 5 December that the Hammers had triggered an extension clause in Fornals’ contract which would see his contract, which was set to expire at the end of this season, last until the end of the 2024/25 season.
This suggests that any deal Barcelona want to do for the midfielder will have to involve a transfer fee, although if as the reports suggest they were always keen to make the move happen in January, a fee would have needed to be involved anyway.
Barcelona want Fornals to come in as cover for the injured Gavi, which would mean getting a deal over the line as soon as possible, and the talks over a mutually beneficial deal seem likely to include money going the way of West Ham.
It has become clear of late that Fornals is keen to leave the London Stadium, and even with the contract extension, he looks likely to do so, with the Hammers covering the option of him leaving for free and ensuring they receive apt compensation for his exit.
In other West Ham news, the club will benefit from more rest than their Premier League rivals as new stat emerges.