Whilst West Ham fans may be reeling from the departure of Marko Arnautovic, the Hammers can still be excited for the coming season due to the arrival of former Villarreal starlet, Pablo Fornals.
The 23-year-old Spanish international began his youth career at Villarreal before moving to Malaga via Castellon at just 17. It was at Malaga he made his breakthrough into senior football, making his debut for the Malaga first team in a 0-0 draw with Real Madrid at just 19 years of age.
Seven goals in 59 La Liga appearances caused Villarreal to make a move for Fornals, allowing him to return to the club he represented at youth level. He scored a fantastic goal in his first season to give Villarreal their first ever win at the Bernebau with a counter attack which led to a delicate chip over Keylor Navas in the 87th minute to send his sides fanbase into raptures.
West Ham paid a reported £24m to bring Pablo Fornals to London and don the famous claret and blue. A fee which will bring an immense amount of expectation from a side who have some of the most passionate and expectant fans in the Premier League.
Where does Fornals play?
Despite those who may have used him on the video game FIFA assuming the Spaniard is a tried and tested winger, the Spaniard is capable of playing across the entirety of pitch, supporting the out and out striker from any position.
As shown on the heatmap from Fornals final season at Villarreal, he was given the freedom to create from wherever he found space. He would use his versatility and intelligence to take up positions between the full backs and the central defender to utilise his passing ability.
The issue for West Ham? Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson. These two are key players and fan favourites with the Hammers faithful and Manuel Pellegrini would need to shuffle the pack to ensure that when fit, all three of these creative players can flourish on the pitch.
What will Fornals bring to West Ham?
Whilst Fornals struggled to be directly involved in goals for Villarreal in La Liga, his contribution in the UEFA Europa League helped his side delve into the deeper rounds of the tournament, eventually losing out to fellow Spanish side Valencia.
In La Liga, just two goals and three assists were the return from 2364 minutes on the pitch, in comparison, three goals and three assists came from just 922 minutes of European football.
The summer has also been a time where Fornals has flourished, his contribution to Spains U21 was there to see, as he contributed two goals and an assist, including a late winner against Belgium to ensure they topped Group A.
But goalscoring is not Fornals’ strength, his ability to link midfield and attack is what makes this player so special. His passing range and vision means he can create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis.
Last season, for Villarreal, Fornals completed more key passes (45) in La Liga than anyone besides Leganes’ on loan midfielder Oscar Rodriguez (48) of any player aged 23 and under.
Statistically, in terms of passing, Fornals’ 2018/19 campaign can draw strong comparisons with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli. The Englishman himself had a disappointing campaign infront of goal but still produced the goods when it came to his passing duties.
Both players were influential in ensuring their respective teams maintained possession but also were progressive in their play. Those who watched Spain in the U21 European Championships will have seen the Spaniard has an eye for flair too, which will surely go down well at the London Stadium.
With Fornals’ tidiness in possession and clear creativity, West Ham should be treated to some expansive, attacking football and may look to control the midfield more than they have in previous seasons.
The defensive solidity offered by the likes of Declan Rise and Issa Diop give players like Fornals the opportunity to express themselves. With fellow attacking outlets such as Felipe Anderson and hopefully an incoming forward, the Hammers could be an entertaining force in the coming months.
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West Ham United