Málaga Born in
Castellón de la Plana,
Valencian Community, Fornals joined
Málaga's youth setup in 2012 at the age of 16, from
Castellón. He made his senior debut with
the reserves in the
2014–15 season, in the
Tercera División. Fornals' first competitive match with the first team – and in
La Liga – occurred on 26 September 2015, when he started in a 0–0 away draw against
Real Madrid. Two months and two days later, he scored his first top-flight goal in a 2–2 draw with
Andalusian neighbours
Granada at
La Rosaleda Stadium, finding the net four minutes after replacing
Duda. On 4 December 2016, Fornals scored a brace in a 2–2 draw at
Valencia.
Villarreal On 24 July 2017, having paid his own €12 million
buyout clause to leave Málaga, Fornals moved to fellow top-division side
Villarreal, a club he already represented as a youth, agreeing to a five-year contract. The following 13 January, he scored a late chip after a counterattack to give his new team their first-ever win against Real Madrid at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (1–0). On 26 September 2018, Fornals opened the scoring in a
league fixture away to
Athletic Bilbao with a dipping
volley from 50 yards, in an eventual 3–0 victory.
West Ham United On 14 June 2019, Fornals signed for
West Ham United on a five-year contract for a transfer fee reported to be £24 million, making him the English club's second most expensive signing. He made his
Premier League debut on 10 August, in a 5–0 home defeat by
Manchester City coming on as a half-time
substitute for
Michail Antonio. He scored his first goal for his new team on 27 August, in a 2–0 victory over
Newport County in the
second round of the
EFL Cup. In
2020–21, Fornals made 33 league appearances and scored five times as West Ham
qualified for the
UEFA Europa League for the first time in five years. The
following season he featured in all twelve of his side's Europa League games as they reached the semi-finals, providing two
assists in the 3–0 win at
Olympique Lyonnais in the last-eight. Fornals struggled for consistent game time in the
2022–23 campaign. However, on 23 April 2023, his
scorpion kick closed a 4–0 away victory against
AFC Bournemouth, with the goal being described as "stunning" and "one of the goals of the season". Additionally, he contributed 14 matches to the Hammers'
victorious run in the
UEFA Europa Conference League, their first trophy in 43 years, including 20 minutes of the 2–1 win over
Fiorentina in
the final in Prague; his three goals along the way were a brace in a 3–0 group win at
FCSB, and the added-time only goal of the semi-final second leg away to
AZ Alkmaar. During his spell at the
London Stadium, Fornals made 203 appearances and scored 23 times.
Betis In the late hours of 1 February 2024, deadline to the winter
transfer window, Fornals agreed to join
Real Betis for a rumoured €6 million fee, pending on approval. The deal was officially confirmed the following day, with the player signing a contract until 2029. He made his debut on 4 February, in a 1–1 home draw with
Getafe where he came on as a 66th-minute substitute for
Assane Diao. He scored his first goal on 9 February, in the 2–0 away defeat of
Cádiz; weaving in from the left hand side, he curled a left foot shot into the far side of the net in a goal described as "spectacular". ==International career==