Marko Arnautovic was one of the major reasons why West Ham United were not dragged in the relegation battle in the latter stages of the last season and the Austrian flourished in the false 9 role under former manager David Moyes. Now, with Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of the club, the future of the 29-year-old Austrian looks under doubt as some top clubs are vying for his signature.
Manchester United are one of the teams who are being linked with him. Along with them, the forward has garnered interest from AS Roma as well. Arnautovic was brought in for a club record fee from Stoke City and the Potters felt his absence as they dropped down to the Championship.
Pellegrini has made some big money signings in the transfer market and recently he acquired the services of winger Felipe Anderson for a club record fee of £42m. The East London outfit has acquired as many as 7 new players and that could indicate one thing; the club might have to let some players go as they try to keep the club financially stable after bringing in as many as seven players in the same transfer window.
A lot will be expected out of Pellegrini given the experience and good work he has done before in the Premier League. A top half finish will be the least expectant out of the Hammers. However, gelling so many new players in short span of time will take time. Such was the case with Everton last season as they struggled initially to get going after they made some massive coups in the transfer market.
Arnautovic traditionally plays down the left wing, however, Moyes gave him the freedom to play in a more central role and the Austrian flourished in that position. The team was lacking in options upfront as Andy Carroll was out for a large period of time due to injuries and the goalscoring and creative onus solely fell upon the Austrian international. His form in the latter half of the season helped the Hammers finish at a respectable 13th place and he ended the season with 11 goals and 8 assists to his name in 35 appearances.
Read More: Crystal Palace Considering A Bid Over £15m For West Ham United Winger: Mistake By Pellegrini?
Selling him will be disastrous as the player has found his feet at the Olympic stadium. However, if some reports are to be believed then the club interested in him are willing to pay close to £40m for him and that will certainly be tempting for the East London outfit as soon he is going to be in his thirties. It will be interesting to see whether the Hammers will hold on to him when such a figure will be offered for the player.
