West Ham Minimizes Losses on Midfielder with Real Betis Agreement
West Ham United has reached an agreement with Real Betis for the transfer of midfielder Pablo Fornals. The deal, worth approximately £6.8m, will see Fornals return to La Liga. The 27-year-old has been with West Ham since 2019 and has made 202 appearances for the club. However, this season he has fallen down the pecking order and has only started in four Premier League matches out of the 15 he has played.
With Fornals’ contract set to expire in the summer, West Ham has decided to cash in on him while they can. The club has agreed to a deal worth just under £7m, which will see the midfielder join Real Betis on a five-and-a-half year contract. Interestingly, Fornals will be reuniting with his former manager at West Ham, Manuel Pellegrini, who is now in charge of Real Betis. Before finalizing the move, Fornals will undergo a medical in London.
Another player on his way out of West Ham is Said Benrahma. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Benrahma has agreed to an initial loan move with Lyon. The 28-year-old will cost Lyon £4.3m in a loan fee, with a buy clause of £10.2m in the summer. Benrahma, similar to Fornals, has struggled for playing time this season, making just five starts out of his 13 Premier League appearances and failing to score a league goal.
Benrahma joined West Ham on an initial loan from Brentford in 2020 and has since made 146 appearances for the club. It seems that both Fornals and Benrahma’s departures are part of West Ham’s strategy to minimize losses and make necessary changes to their squad. With the transfer deadline approaching, it will be interesting to see if West Ham makes any further moves in the market.
In conclusion, West Ham United has agreed to transfer midfielder Pablo Fornals to Real Betis for a fee of around £6.8m. Fornals’ departure comes as he has fallen down the pecking order at West Ham and with his contract set to expire in the summer. Additionally, Said Benrahma is also on his way out of the club, with an initial loan move to Lyon. Both transfers are part of West Ham’s strategy to make necessary changes to their squad.