The form of Marko Arnautovic has been one of the most exciting sub plots at West Ham in the past twelve months, but it seems incredibly unlikely that he can continue to thrive without attracting interest from outside the club.
Arnautovic arrived at the London Stadium with a solid reputation for his credentials to impact the game from the left-wing, but he has established himself as the club’s first-choice centre-forward to devastating effect.
Where the likes of Javier Hernandez, Jordan Hugill and Andy Carroll have failed Arnautovic (valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt) has succeeded, providing a potent blend of power, intricacy and lethal finishing since his career started to flourish under David Moyes.
West Ham’s summer spending spree was designed in part to ease the burden on Arnuatovic’s creative responsibility in the final-third, but that intention has only partially been realised so far, which could represent a problem further down the line according to Paul Merson.
Ahead of the Hammers trip to face Newcastle at St James’ Park, Merson delivered his pre-match prediction in his weekly Sky Sports column, and he made a big claim regarding the 29-year-old’s future.
‘I’ve been surprised where West Ham are, but they’re back in the relegation mix and if they lose at Newcastle it could be back to being a long season again.
‘You could see Marko Arnautovic kicking up a stink in January if that happens, and they’re in trouble if that happens. He is the club at the moment, their shining light.’
Rumours concerning Arnautovic’s long-term future and his desire to play at the highest level have already started to circulate in recent weeks, so Merson’s admission certainly holds a weight of legitimacy.
Arnautovic clearly has a close bond with the supporters, but he is reaching a twilight zone in his career in which the opportunity of joining one of Europe’s big clubs may not come around more than once.
If West Ham continue to underachieve with their talented squad and Arnautovic is offered the chance to embark on an exciting new challenge, a power struggle between the club’s board and the fiery Austria international is likely to emerge.
That’s a situation which supporters will dread but, as Merson has pointed out, it’s one which could well present itself if results don’t significantly improve before the new year.
West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
