West Ham United activate clause in Pablo Fornals contract amid transfer interest
West Ham have activated a one-year extension clause in Pablo Fornals’ contract to extend his deal to the end of the 2024/25 season, according to Sean Whetstone.
The West Ham news source shared the news via his Twitter account, reporting that Fornals had agreed to the extension option when he signed a five-year deal in 2019.
This has come amid rumours that Fornals has attracted interest from Spanish sides Barcelona [Fabrizio Romano, 23 November] and Sevilla [Estadio Deportivo, 17 November] after falling out of favour at the London Stadium.
He may still leave the club
By no means does this contract extension mean Fornals will remain with the Hammers beyond the end of this season. He would still be available to leave if the deal suited West Ham, but the key difference is that it would now have to be a deal that suits them.
Previously, Fornals would have been able to negotiate over a free transfer from January onwards which is likely what had Barcelona sniffing around given their financial issues, but the Hammers have now put themselves in a position to demand a fee for his services.
The Spaniard has made nine Premier League appearances so far this season, with the majority of those coming from the bench as he has fallen to the rank of a backup and rotation player thanks to the emergence of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus’ roles in the team.
David Moyes has called on Fornals on occasion, largely in the Europa League and cup competitions, but has not seen anything to warrant a starting place, pointing towards suggestions he could quit in the summer.
In other West Ham news, an injury expert has detailed Tottenham’s injuries ahead of the Hammers clash.