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Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Pablo Fornals Rumours, Release Clause
November 21, 2018
Arsenal will reportedly have to pay up to €40 million to convince Villarreal to part with midfielder Pablo Fornals.
Sport (h/t Sport Witness) reported that Fornals' buyout clause with the La Liga club is worth €40 million, while the midfielder is also reluctant to move to another country if he is to leave El Madrigal.
Sport's article comes after the Mirror's Robert O'Connor had written of the Gunners' interest, citing a £17.8 million buyout clause, while La Liga writer Andrew Gaffney reported the figure to be somewhere in between:
Andrew Gaffney @GaffneyVLC@LucasMirani @davidjaca Fornals has been linked with moves to Fulham and West Ham recently but seems happy to stay at Villarreal for now. If Arsenal did bid, it'd likely cost them a fair chunk of his €30m buyout clause (not €40m). Seeing as the source of the story is 'The Sun' though..
The 22-year-old is in his second season with Villarreal after previously turning out for Malaga and provided 12 assists during his first La Liga campaign with the Yellow Submarine.
He can play as an attacking midfielder and on either wing, using his vision and great trickery to create chances for others or score himself.
While he has only bagged one La Liga goal so far this season it was an absolute scorcher against Athletic Bilbao:
He could be an excellent replacement for Aaron Ramsey, who is expected to leave the Gunners as a free agent next summer. But according to Sport (h/t Ullal), Villarreal have no interest in selling at this point, which is why the details of the clause are so important.
If the figure of £17.8 million that was initially reported is correct, Fornals would provide superb value. At closer to £35 million the appeal lessens if Villarreal won't settle for less.
Villarreal have been among La Liga's most disappointing teams this season, so Fornals might be tempted to move on in January.