After rumours have emerged that Man United are knocking on the proverbial door for West Ham’s Marko Arnautović, it only seems a matter of time before they knock the door down.
The Premier League giants have far too much money and prestige for the Austrian to ignore, particularly after he said that he wanted to leave The Hammers. So this is more of a case of when, rather than if. What may be more concerning for West Ham fans is whether he leaves in January or the summer.
It is understandable why West Ham ruled out a move for the 6ft 4 forward in January; he has undeniably been The Hammers’ best player since joining from Stoke last summer. He won Hammer of the Year last season, and is probably the frontrunner to reclaim that gong at the end of the season in truth.
But the club do not want to run the risk of souring their relationship with the forward if he wants to leave. He has effectively laid down the law and said he wants to leave; it could be very dangerous to keep hold of him, as he may well lose enthusiasm and could even become a toxic influence on the team.
While he may not leave in January, West Ham will have accepted that Arnautović will surely be gone come the end of the season, and this must be known to the player. He has been prone to being temperamental in the past, and The Irons wouldn’t really want to upset him, given the form that he is in at the moment.
What will please the fans is that the player has not shown his dissatisfaction with the club, just an ambition to move to a bigger club. This suggests that he may be willing to stay at the London Stadium for the remainder of the season.
