It’s finally over.
While not officially official, since neither club has announced it yet, Pedro Obiang has openly discussed his transfer from West Ham to Sassuolo, which should be complete by the end of they day.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Hammers’ midfielder explained how his transfer came about, and revealed it all started with a manager picking up his phone.
He said: “I knew that sooner or later I would return to Italy, and talks were initiated with when [Roberto] De Zerbi called me before the transfer window had even started. I didn’t believe it, but then we kept talking and now here I am.”
Expected to undergo the standard medical early on Wednesday afternoon, the Equatorial Guinea international will cost the Serie A side around €10m overall, with most reports talking of an €8m fee up front with a couple of extra million in bonuses.
Having spent six years at Sampdoria before heading to the Premier League in 2015, Obiang also told his new fans what they could expect from him next season.
He continued: “I’m a lot more mature, mostly because I’m now 27. I have so much to give and you will see a different player.”
For West Ham, this means one extra player off their wage bill, which was probably starting to fill up considerably following some big incoming transfers.
They even managed to make a profit (he originally cost them just over £5m) on a player who wasn’t a regular starter under Manuel Pellegrini last season.
