Pablo Fornals Malla

Pablo Fornals came through Villarreal's academy before finishing his youth football at Málaga, and it was there, at Atlético Malagueño, that he earned his route to a first-team debut in 2015. Two seasons later he returned to Villarreal in a move that carried an unusual detail: the €12 million fee was reportedly paid from his own funds to trigger his release clause. He stayed for two seasons, making 96 appearances and scoring nine goals, before West Ham United signed him for a reported £24 million in June 2019.

Fornals made 203 appearances across five seasons and scored 23 goals, 152 of his appearances coming in the Premier League. In February 2024 he moved to Real Betis on a five-year contract, and the following season he reached another Conference League final, this time with his new side.

At international level, Fornals won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Spain's U21 side in 2019 and has since earned senior caps, scoring his first goal for the national team against Kosovo in September 2021. He was a runner-up with Spain in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, though he was left out of the squad for Euro 2024.