Manuel Pellegrini insists on West Ham ace Pablo Fornals as £17.1m update emerges
Pablo Fornals’ sale could exceed £17.1million if he departs West Ham with Real Betis keen, according to Mucho Deporte.
Betis boss and former West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is reportedly keen on the Spaniard but is also ready to bring Tottenham midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso back to the club after his 2020 switch to north London.
Fornals cost the Hammers £25million in 2019 [Telegraph] and has made 180 appearances in all competitions for the east London side.
No rush
West Ham are yet to dip their toes into the market this summer after their £105million sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal was finally completed.
Many expect the Irons to invest heavily this summer, but most talk surrounding their transfer window has been in regard to potential outgoings, with the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Michail Antonio and now Fornals all linked with moves away from the club.
Fornals was not ever present in the West Ham side last season, accumulating just 17 starts over the course of the Premier League season. His goal contributions were not insignificant, however, with six actors in all competitions including the winning goal in West Ham’s semi-final tie against Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League.
But, West Ham are not really in a position to sell until more faces come through the door, especially in the midfield. With Rice gone, West Ham must focus on replacing him, which may take multiple signings.
Denis Zakaria has been linked but the Hammers could face competition from RB Leipzig [Tuttomercato], while Scott McTominay has been touted as a midfield recruit this summer, but £40million will be needed to pry him away from Manchester United [The Guardian]. Conor Gallagher has also been rumoured but they face interest from Tottenham who are “more likely” to secure the Chelsea man [Telegraph].
While Fornals could be considered disposable, the £17.1million could go a long way in bringing in more recruits but the 27-year-old still certainly has something to offer the London Stadium faithful, especially in his progressive play where he can boast 5.33 progressive passes per 90 (84th percentile) [FBRef].
Time will tell for Fornals, but the longer the West Ham board take to bring in new players the longer he may remain.
In other West Ham news, a Hammers midfield target has been backed for a move to London rivals as the search for Declan Rice’s replacement goes on.