After a brief dalliance with Brighton and a Premier League return which would never come to pass, former West Ham United loanee Carlos Soler finally broke free of his Paris Saint-Germain purgatory on deadline day.
Looking at Sunday’s 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest, is it fair to say Mateus Fernandes’ barnstorming performance was the sort of display West Ham United expected when signing Carlos Soler on loan from the European champions a year previously?
While Fernandes enthralled the West Ham supporters with the sort of athletic, all-action display which became his trademark at Southampton, similar performances from a silky Spanish international were few and far between in claret and blue.
Some players just aren’t suited to the hustle and bustle of Premier League football. And, almost from day one, Carlos Soler and West Ham appeared an awkward fit.
One goal and one assist was a fairly dreadful return from a man who established himself as a reliable taker and creator of chances during his formative years with Valencia. Furthermore, with Lucas Paqueta the go-to number ten at the London Stadium, Soler was not helped by an ill-fitting deep-lying role which required far more intensity and defensive awareness than he was capable of providing.
But as the former Valencia captain secures a deadline day return to La Liga with Real Sociedad, happier times should be returning to the Soler household.
Former West Ham United loanee Carlos Soler joins Real Sociedad from Paris Saint-Germain
Three months after Carlos Soler bid farewell to West Ham – a permanent transfer was never really on the cards – PSG’s forgotten man finally secures a belated, full-time departure from the French capital.
The 28-year-old joins Real Sociedad for a reported fee of £7 million.
“Super happy [to join La Real, with] great enthusiasm,” Soler smiles. “I’m really looking forward to it. The club has placed trust in me and I in the club. I think that is very important for a football player.
“[The Anoeta has] a spectacular atmosphere. I’ve already played here a few years and it has always been very, very good. It’s very exciting and I hope to live many nights like this here.
“I hope it’s my home for many years and a long time.”
Carlos Soler was linked briefly with Brighton earlier in the summer, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Igor Julio explains why he is perfect for Graham Potter
Speaking of Graham Potter’s old South Coast-based employers, Brighton loaned Igor Julio to the London Stadium on deadline day as West Ham scuppered Marc Guehi’s £35 million Liverpool switch in the process.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Igor Julio told the Hammers fans what they can expect to see from a 27-year-old Brazilian whose defence-splitting, left-footed passes should see him fit in nicely under Potter.
“As a player, I’m the type who always wants to learn and always wants to improve. I believe I’m a player with a lot of quality on the ball and also very aggressive without the ball,” Igor says.
“And as a person, first of all, I’m humble. I’m simple, and I’m someone who likes to be with family and with friends, and to help the people who have helped me get to where I am today. So I’d say I’m a very simple and humble person, but very happy and grateful to God for everything.
“From the first to the last day, I’ll give everything I have on the pitch. I’ll do everything I can so the team can win matches and the fans can, from the beginning, connect with me and enjoy my performances on the pitch.
“You can expect a huge desire to win, a strong will to learn and to give my best for this shirt.”
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