Pablo Fornals seals £7m Real Betis move from West Ham after deadline day drama
WEST HAM have confirmed Pablo Fornals' move to Real Betis after deadline day drama.
SunSport understands Fornals, 27, followed the Hammers at the London Stadium in full club tracksuit on Thursday ahead of the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, although he was not part of the squad.
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However, the playmaker's move to Betis went through at the eleventh hour and the east Londoners confirmed the deal on their official website with a moving tribute.
That is different from Saïd Benrahma's move to Lyon, which stalled dramatically at the eleventh hour.
West Ham announced: “West Ham United can confirm that Pablo Fornals has joined Real Betis on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.
“The 27-year-old returns to Spain after four and a half seasons with the Hammers, during which he made 203 appearances and scored 23 goals.
“Fornals will always have a place in West Ham folklore after the goal at AZ Alkmaar that confirmed the Irons' passage to the UEFA Europa Conference League final in May 2023.
“The midfielder also scored memorable goals in Premier League victories against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Southampton, the latter of which qualified for the UEFA Europa League in May 2021.
“Fornals' creativity also saw him assist two unforgettable goals in the 3-0 Europa League quarter-final win at Olympique Lyonnais in April 2022.”
Betis also confirmed the arrival of Fornals with a funny video on social media.
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The attacking midfielder will now reunite with former manager Manuel Pellegrini at Betis.
Pellegrini managed the ex-Spain international for a few months when the ex-Manchester City boss was in charge of West Ham.
The Spaniard played a total of 23 games this season before leaving the London Stadium.
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