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What's the story?
West Ham United have completed the signing of Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals for a reported fee of around £24 million.
In case you didn't know...
West Ham had been linked with the 23-year old Spanish international midfielder for a while now.
This will be the third signing to be completed by West Ham in this transfer window after Roberto and David Martin from Espanyol and Millwall respectively.
The midfielder becomes the second most expensive player in the history of West Ham after Felipe Anderson.
The heart of the matter
West Ham United have officially completed the signing of the highly rated Spanish international midfielder for a reported fee of around £24 million. The Hammers have signed the Spaniard on a five-year deal with an option to extend the contract for another year.
The highly sought after midfielder joins the Hammers after an impressive season for the Yellow Submarines that has seen him scoring 5 goals and making 6 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.
In his first official interview as a West Ham player, Fornals spoke about his aspirations in the Premier League and his thoughts about the manager.
"I’m very happy to be part of West Ham, I feel very good, very happy and very grateful for the opportunity that has been provided to me."
"I want the club to continue giving opportunities to young and ambitious people, people who want to do well for the long term."
"I have worked with Mario before – I know him from when I was in Malaga. With Manuel, only when I saw him and admired him on TV. Of course, Manuel was a big influence because in the end he is one of the best coaches in the world and who doesn’t want to work with people like that?!"
What's next?
The Hammers are reported to be looking add a few more names to their squad in the coming weeks as Manuel Pellegrini hopes to boost his squad ahead of the start of the next Premier League season.
