Not too long ago, it was reported by gianlucadimarzio.com that Chelsea were in the hunt to sign West Ham United’s forward Marko Arnautovic after his agent and brother claimed that the player was willing to take the next step in his career. However, the forward recently squashed those rumours and seemed committed to the Hammers for the time being.
Arnautovic was quoted as saying,”I don’t want to talk about it (On transfer speculation). I am concentrated on West Ham. We have a big game against Manchester City on Saturday and I am only thinking about this game and the following games and what is being said is not my business. My business is to perform on the pitch, to put in performances and that is what I want to do.”
The confusion started with his brother when he told the Austrian newspaper Kurier,”That’s possible (Marko leaving West Ham). It was already very, very close this last summer.”
Arnautovic also added more fuel when he said,”I’m 29, so that’s the best age. It’s clear that I want to compete with the best players. But in this affair, I totally trust my brother.”
It seems clear that both the player and his brother are not on the same page and are giving a different point of view. However, realistically, we are of the opinion that the player would jump clubs when a big team like Chelsea comes in for him as the Blues are in desperate need of a striker and the Austrian can be a regular starter at Stamford Bridge.
According to The Sun, Oliver Giroud is also being linked with a move away from the club and Marseille are looking to sign him. Therefore the Blues are extremely likely to go after a striker in the January window as Alvaro Morata is still failing more often than not. Sarri’s forward options are very limited and misfiring, and yet the Blues find themselves on the third position, four points of the top of the table. Therefore one can imagine what they could do if they can get a striker in proper form.
Arnautovic played a crucial role in the second half of the last season with the Hammers as they were fighting in a relegation battle. Often used as a left winger, Moyes opted to give him a more central role when the likes of Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll were struggling with injuries and the 29-year-old went on to showcase his goal-scoring prowess. This season again under Pellegrini, Arnautovic is playing in a similar role upfront.
The Austrian can be a good signing for the Blues as Arnautovic is currently in the prime of his career. It was reported earlier that the Hammers would demand £50m for him so it remains to be seen whether the Pensioners would pay such an amount for a 29-year-old forward. However, for us, Sarri should pursue this transfer given the form of the other Chelsea forwards and the inflated nature of the transfer market.