West Ham United are looking to sign Villarreal attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals this summer.
The Hammers’ director of football Mario Husillos is well aware of Fornals’ potential, and the club are ready to fork out £24million to secure his services, as per the Guardian.
Pellegrini’s side finished tenth in the Premier League last season, and in order to challenge for silverware and a European spot next season, they need some reinforcements in the creative department.
It is believed that the transfer is likely to be completed by the end of this week, although personal terms are yet to be agreed with the player.
Pablo Fornals: Profile
Fornals spent his youth career at Villarreal, Castellon and Malaga and after making an impact at Malaga’s B side, he was eventually promoted to their senior team. In the summer of 2017, he was signed by Villarreal and he has already become an important player for the Spanish outfit.
The 23-year-old mustered 35 appearances in La Liga last season, during which he scored 2 goals and bagged 3 assists. Further, he dazzled in the Europa League as he grabbed 3 goals and as many assists to his name in 12 appearances.
Fornals is a highly rated player back in Spain, and despite the competition that exists in the Spanish national side, he has already won 2 caps for La Furia Roja. If he continues to progress well, he could be a household name in the coming years.
Why West Ham United should sign Fornals
Fornals is known for his creative prowess, and he could be the missing piece of the jigsaw in the West Ham attack.
Versatility is one of his strongest assets as Fornals can feature anywhere in the midfield, and in an advanced role. His work rate is a key trait which allows him to seamlessly slot in a deeper role when called upon.
By no means is Fornals a finished article, but the fluidity he would be able to inject in the final third would help West Ham.
Fornals predominantly featured as an attacking midfield, and finish the season with impressive attacking stats. His performances in the Europa League especially drew a lot of plaudits as he managed an average of 2.2 key passes per game.
West Ham have Manuel Lanzini who can play in the number 10 role, but the Argentine’s injury-raved season last time out didn’t inspire any confidence and he looked a very different player when he returned.
Fornals is still young and has shown the ability to be a future Spanish star, so the Hammers should leave no stone unturned to sign him.