West Ham accept £6.8m bid for £24m signing as Fulham see late loan bid ‘rejected’ by Hammers
West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals will join Spanish side Real Betis for £6.8million on deadline day, according to reports.
Fornals was brought to the London Stadium by Manuel Pellegrini – who is currently Betis’ head coach.
The Hammers paid €28million (£23.8million) to land the Spanish playmaker from Villarreal in 2019.
He has made 203 appearances for West Ham, 23 of which have come this season.
Fornals has not been a regular starter under David Moyes this term having started 25 matches across all competitions in 2022/23.
Despite Moyes’ desire to sign a wide player, he has let Fornals depart the club on deadline day.
According to The Athletic, Fornals will join Betis for £6.8m and will undergo his medical in London before penning a five-and-a-half-year contract.
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He will reunite with former Hammers boss Pellegrini having fallen down the pecking order under Moyes.
Fornals is not the only West Ham player expected to leave the club before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
According to reports, Said Benrahma is currently in France to complete a move to Lyon.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Premier League rivals Fulham had a ‘late approach’ to land Benrahma ‘rejected’ by Moyes’ side.
The Cottagers reportedly asked to sign the Algerian international on a ‘straight loan’, with the player ‘in Lyon to complete his move in the final hours’ of the winter transfer window.
Benrahma will join Lyon on an initial loan deal and the Ligue 1 side will have the option to buy him in the summer, with the transfer fee and loan fee combining to around £17m, according to The Athletic.
The 28-year-old joined West Ham from Brentford for around £19m in 2021.
West Ham winger Maxwel Cornet has also been linked with an exit, with Moyes evidently okay with the idea of losing three players who can play on both wings.
This is despite the fact West Ham have been linked with a host of wide players in January.
It was reported earlier this week that former Celtic winger Jota was closing in on a move to the Irons from Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad.
It has gone a bit quiet on that front, with merely hours left in the winter window.
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