West Ham United have signed attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals from Villarreal on a five-year contract, the Premier League club said Friday, dpa reported. Fornals scored seven goals in 63 appearances over the past two seasons at Villarreal. The 23-year-old began his career at Malaga, making his La Liga debut in 2015. "He is a player we have monitored closely for some time, having seen him make excellent progress as a young midfielder in one of the best leagues in the world," said West Ham director of football Mario Husillos, who worked with Fornals at Malaga. West Ham didn't disclose the transfer fee, but did say it was the second-highest ever paid by the club. The BBC reported it to be 24 million pounds (30 million dollars). Fornals will join the Hammers after playing for Spain at the Under 21-European Championship, which runs June 16-30.