After signing Pablo Fornals for £24 million in the summer transfer window, West Ham United thought they had landed a steal at the hands of La Liga club Villarreal.
The Spaniard has featured in all eight of the Hammers’ opening Premier League fixtures – starting in three and coming on as a substitute in the remaining five – but as of yet has failed to make the kind of impact that earned him a big reputation over in Spain.
Coming off the back of an impressive tournament on a personal level, as well as collectively as part of a UEFA European U21 Championship team with Spain, Fornals was eagerly awaited by West Ham fans and was perhaps naively anticipated to have an instant impact in East London.
While his performances have steadily improved, his stint in the starting line-up was cut short in Saturday’s home loss to Crystal Palace, due to fellow playmaker Manuel Lanzini’s return to full fitness.
The momentum that he gathered during September’s home win against Manchester United, as well as the draw on the south coast away at Bournemouth, was halted, and in turn, stopped Fornals’ progression as a Premier League footballer in its tracks.
Lanzini proved to have an anonymous game as he played far too deep to make an impact, while Fornals replaced him in the 68th minute, having no more of an effect on proceedings than his Argentinian counterpart.
How much time does Fornals need to make his mark on this West Ham team?
One of the weaknesses, to the naked eye, that has been apparent in the 23-year-old’s game so far has been his time spent on the ball.
Fornals could get away with this sort of performance in La Liga, as the pace of the league overall is a lot slower than in the Premier League. But here in England, there is no time for rest, and the intensity is at a high level from the word go. If he learns to release the ball sooner to his teammates, noticeable improvements to his performance will be evident. After that? Goals and assists would be the next level of progression from a player that possesses his ability.
Some foreign talents come to the Premier League and make an instant impact, while others take time to prove their worth. Fornals should be judged based on what he is doing and how he is progressing as a player, rather than being compared to other imports that have previously hit the ground running straight away.
With struggling Everton up next for West Ham after the international break, it is a glorious chance for Fornals to announce himself to the West Ham fanbase, providing he gets his chance.