West Ham dealt blow as Carlos Vela chooses to stay at Real Sociedad

West Ham were reportedly interested in former Arsenal man Carlos Vela but have been dealt a blow after Real Sociedad confirmed that the Mexican wants to remain at the club.

The former Arsenal player made 62 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists. He had a stint at West Brom which saw him score two goals in eight appearances before moving to Real Sociedad where he has established himself as a top player.

In 230 appearances, Vela has scored 72 goals and registered an astounding 42 assists for Sociedad, winning both the La Liga player of the month and Real Sociedad player of the year awards twice each. 

At still only 28 years of age, Vela still has much to offer and West Ham were interested in acquiring his services to pair up with his fellow Mexico teammate Javier Hernandez, who they bought from Bayer Leverkusen.  

However, they have been dealt a blow after Real Sociedad's president Jokin Aperribay confirmed that the player wants to remain at the club. 

Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Aperribay said: "[Carlos] Vela is an important player, yes there have been clubs that have made offers. But both the player and Real [Sociedad] have rejected them." 

Other clubs who have been interested include Roma, Lyon and LA Galaxy.