West Ham United are ready to rival Arsenal in the pursuit of Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals.
Manuel Pellegrini has had to shuffle his team because of injuries, and according to according to Sport (via Talksport), the Hammers could make his life easier with a move for the attacking midfielder.
The Spanish international reportedly has a £28.5 million release clause, which is an absolute steal given the quality of the midfielder. But, how will Fornals fit into Pellegrini’s setup at West Ham?
Pablo Fornals: Just what Pellegrini needs
West Ham United have quite an impressive midfield line-up, with talented players like Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez and Pedro Obiang among many others. But, most of these players have struggled with frequent injuries that have kept them out for a major chunk this season.
In fact, the midfield duo of Wilshere and Obiang have combined just over 1000 minutes of league action so far and with fans already unhappy with Wilshere’s involvement in the team, the addition of someone like Fornals definitely makes sense for the Hammers.
The Villarreal star likes to maraud forward and push the opposition back with his driving runs from midfield. He has excellent control over the ball, which allows him to keep hold of possession even in tight spaces – something that could prove to be useful for West Ham, who have struggled in their transition play this season.
The 22-year-old can also recycle possession, but what makes him such an appealing target for the Hammers is that he can add the creative essence in the final third, having averaged 1.7 key passes this season.
The aforementioned could be an ideal characteristic for Pellegrini, who has missed out on the services of his side’s main playmaker in Manuel Lanzini for the most part of the campaign.
Fornals is also aware of his defensive duties, notably averaging 1.4 tackles per game, which is certainly an impressive statistic for an attack-minded midfielder.
The Spaniard’s urgency in midfield allows him to press the opposition, leaving the opposing ball-carrier with very little time on the ball, meaning Fornals can be deployed as the supporting midfielder alongside Declan Rice.
While Rice can provide security for the backline using his defensive prowess, Fornals would provide the thrust going forward as well as distributing possession and injecting more urgency to their game, thus adding an extra dimension to West Ham’s midfield.
However, the Hammers could face stiff competition from Arsenal, who are also keen to secure the services of the highly rated Spanish midfielder.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored