West Ham United is optimistic that the transfer of Pablo Fornals to Real Betis will be officially confirmed despite a technical glitch that temporarily disrupted the process before the transfer deadline, according to insider reports from Football Insider.
Fornals’ switch to the La Liga club has been pending announcement after both parties reportedly settled on a £6.8 million transfer fee on the final day of the transfer window.
Ramon Alarcon, the CEO of Real Betis, has stated that although the necessary documents were dispatched in time, a computer issue at West Ham’s end prevented the completion of the deal.
Nonetheless, West Ham is confident that all required paperwork was submitted promptly and is hopeful that Fornals’ transfer back to Spain’s premier league will be approved, marking the end of his four-and-a-half-year stint in Stratford.
According to La Liga’s official website, all transfers are considered provisional until all documentation is fully processed, and a completed deal sheet is required before the transfer window’s deadline at 11 pm UK time. Clubs then have an additional two hours, until 1 am UK time, to submit all related paperwork.
For international transfers involving a Spanish club, adherence to the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) deadline of midnight is mandatory.
Fornals, aged 27, was present at West Ham’s recent Premier League game against Bournemouth on Thursday evening (1 February), although he was not part of the squad for the match.
Since joining West Ham in 2019, Fornals has made 203 appearances, scoring 23 goals and contributing 19 assists. This season, he has played in 23 matches across all competitions, starting 11 of those games. Following the summer signings of Mohammed Kudus and James Ward-Prowse, Fornals was widely expected to leave during the winter transfer window.
West Ham currently holds the sixth position in the Premier League standings after drawing 1-1 with Bournemouth on Thursday (1 February). The team is set to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon (4 February).