Pablo Fornals is not seen as a replacement for West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini with talks underway on a new contract for the current Hammers ace, according to Claret and Hugh.
The online outlet claim that the Irons are keen to tie the Argentine down to a new deal at the club, with the London club fearful over a contractual wrangle involving a two-year extension option for the £70k-per-week star [Source: Spotrac].
Lanzini, 26, is still held in high regard at the London Stadium, despite only making 10 Premier League appearances after suffering a serious knee injury at the beginning of last season.
Villareal midfielder Fornals is expected to join the club in a deal worth up to £24million with Mario Husillos closing in on the Spanish international, according to the Guardian.
OPINION
This will be great news for all involved at West Ham, a new deal for Lanzini would be a great piece of business. Should the Argentinian international decide to stay at the club, Manuel Pellegrini will have a wealth of attacking options available to him for the next campaign. Those options will be improved drastically should Pablo Fornals join the club for only £24m in the coming week. Pellegrini will definitely need to prove to Lanzini that he will be given consistent football next season, with his options growing significantly. The 26-year-old enjoyed a good end to the season after a serious injury kept him out of the first half of the season, scoring two goals and adding a single assist in his 10 outings for the club. With West Ham holding the option to extend his deal, a new contract could be signed in the coming weeks. This could be big news for the Hammers, who could see Lanzini start the new season with added motivation should a new deal be agreed.