Player insists West Ham didn’t try to ‘get rid’ of him – David Moyes message made it clear he had to go
Pablo Fornals left West Ham United and made a switch to Real Betis earlier this year.
West Ham agreed a deal with Real Betis on deadline day of the winter market, and his move was completed a day later, after overcoming a technical issue.
Speaking to Canal Sur Radio’s El Pelotazo, one of the topics the 28-year-old discussed was his exit from West Ham, and his comments are relayed by Estadio Deportivo.
The Spain international saw his game time reduced at the start of the season, before starting to enjoy minutes weeks before he left West Ham. His deal with the Hammers was set to expire in June.
Fornals has now revealed his contract situation at West Ham and David Moyes’ decision to not use him regularly convinced him to leave the Premier League side.
“I was participating less this season, but in January I played a lot,” he said.
“The situation was favourable for me, because my contract was ending and the cycle, mentally, for me and my family had already ended in London. If it wasn’t at Christmas, it would have been in the summer. The reward would have been the same.
“I wasn’t the typical footballer they wanted to get rid of, but David told me he couldn’t give me the minutes I was asking for.”
The midfielder arrived at West Ham United from Villarreal in 2019, when Manuel Pellergini was in charge of the English club. A move to Real Betis has seen Fornals reunite with his former manager, and has featured regularly under his orders this year.
