Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly interested in and scouring the prospect of a summer move for Villarreal playmaker Pablo Fornals.
According to Football.Espana, Arsenal and Tottenham are looking to prise Pablo Fornals away from Villarreal in the summer. The playmaker is regarded as one of the key stars within the Villarreal setup, with the club currently struggling in the 2018-19 La Liga campaign.
Villarreal are in real danger of being relegated from La Liga this season. El Submarino Amarillo ended up a respectable fifth in the 2017-18 campaign but are struggling to post wins. They have just five wins so far this season and are a point and a place above the relegation zone after 27 matches played.
Pablo Fornals joined Malaga at the age of 16 and received his initial experience in La Liga at the club before opting to move to Villarreal in the summer of 2017. The Yellow Submarines shelled out €12 million to get their hands on the playmaker and Fornals did not disappoint.
In his maiden season with Villarreal, Fornals posted crazy numbers – 12 assists in the league, with 3 goals to his name. The playmaker was revered by the fans, started courting interest from top clubs and became an insoluble part of the starting eleven, whenever fit and available. The 2018-19 campaign has been troublesome for Villarreal, which is reflected in Fornals’ tally as well.
The midfielder has just a goal and 2 assists to his name in the league this season. The interest in Fornals though, doesn’t look like it’s waning anytime soon, with Arsenal and Tottenham eager to prise him away from Villarreal in the summer transfer window, with the report crediting Express for the information.
Arsenal are looking for a direct replacement for Aaron Ramsey while also scouring for a player who is comfortable playing out wide, with the Gunners not really possessing natural wing options within their squad. Fornals could be a case of two birds-one stone for Unai Emery & co.
For Tottenham, it is a case of finding the right replacement for the already-departed Mousa Dembele. There is a cloud over the future of Victor Wanyama as well, thus accentuating the need to find a natural playmaker.
While Fornals is an attacking midfielder, he has been deployed in the central midfield role as well and is unlikely to find any difficulty to a bit withdrawn role on the pitch. With Villarreal in real danger of missing out on La Liga action next season and almost certain to not be able to provide European football, Fornals could pay heed to Arsenal and Tottenham’s offers.
