The release clause of Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals is double that which was reported in the English media on Tuesday, reports in Spain have revealed.
Fornals has been tipped as a January target for Arsenal, who are seeking midfield reinforcements ahead of Aaron Ramsey's departure next summer.
The Sun reported on Tuesday that Fornals' release clause at Villarreal was only €20m (£17.8m), which seemed like a suspiciously reasonable figure for a 22-year-old Spanish international.
However, Catalan newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness) reported on Wednesday that Fornals' release clause is actually €40m, which makes much more sense for a player of Fornals' quality.
The report also mentions that any Arsenal bid would be met with a 'resounding no' from the Spanish strugglers, who are not interested in entering into mid-season negotiations.
The Yellow Submarine is submerged in treacherous waters at present, sitting just one point above the La Liga relegation zone after winning only two of their first twelve matches this season.
Fornals, a versatile midfielder capable of playing through the centre or on either flank, has been one of the few bright points for Javier Calleja's side of late.
The 22-year-old scored a goal-of-the-season contender for Villarreal against Athletic Bilbao in September with an incredible speculative volley from 40 yards out.
Having started his youth career at Villarreal, he ended up making his senior debut for Malaga before returning to El Madrigal in 2017.
He made his first Spain international appearance for more than two years on Sunday as a second-half substitute against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Source :
90min
