Seemingly all set to go through on Saturday evening, Pedro Obiang’s transfer from West Ham to Fiorentina collapsed at the last minute after the Hammers pulled the plug on the deal.
Claims from Italy suggested the reason behind this move was the Premier League side’s displeasure at how their Italian counterparts wanted to spread the €10m + €1m in bonus payment, and, once again, the former Spain U21 international found himself in the middle of a failed transfer.
However, Corriere Fiorentino don’t believe this is the end of the matter, as Obiang is ‘pushing’ for a return to Italy, which he nearly got in the summer when a similar situation took place with Sampdoria, and his entourage are trying to convince West Ham to accept Fiorentina’s offer.
The hope is that since the Hammers already said yes once to the Serie A club’s bid, they would, after some constructive talks, be prepared to do so again, but that remains to be seen.
There’s a lot resting on Obiang’s will here, and it could come down to whether or not Manuel Pellegrini wants an unhappy player around his squad for the second half of the season, or if he’d rather let him go to save himself any potential future hassle.
Lille are still mentioned as another club offering the Equatorial Guinea international a way out of London Stadium, but a return to Italy is his priority.
