Manuel Pellegrini, after being placed at the helm of West Ham United, has played an active role this summer in beefing up his arsenal. The Chilean has already lured some dazzling names like Felipe Anderson, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Issa Diop to the London Stadium and there is no denying that the London based outfit have built a formidable squad for the 2018-19 season.
Last season, the Hammer were listless in the Premier League but steadied the ship somewhat managing to secure a 13th place finish in the league standings. One of the silver linings for West Ham United, however, was Marko Arnautovic’s form. The Austrian hitman was in superb touch as he smashed 11 goals and also mustered 6 assists in 31 Premier League appearances for the London based outfit.
Intriguingly, one of the latest reports by the Express states that Pellegrini is open to the idea of striking Arnautovic off his books. The Irons are willing to listen to offers for the forward and reportedly, AS Roma and Manchester United are believed to be interested in making him sign on the dotted line. This latest development regarding his future has really come as a surprise.
Arnautovic started his senior career with Twente and after making a mark there, the 29-year-old moved to the ranks of Werder Bremen. Stoke City introduced him to the English top flight in the summer of 2013 and four years later, he was signed by West Ham United in what was then the club-record transfer fee of £20million, which could rise to £25million.
He has established himself as a galvanizing player in the English top flight owing to his knack of scoring goals and his versatility of plying his trade anywhere in the offensive half. A strong and tall forward, Arnautovic holds the ball well up top and has shaped himself as a clinical forward recently. Besides, he has plenty of experience under his belt and he is good at testing the opposition goalkeepers from long range as well as from close quarters.
He is a proven Premier League campaigner and no wonder the Red Devils are pursuing him. Alongside the likes of Javier Hernandez, Anderson and Yarmolenko, Arnautovic can really make West Ham United a threatening side this season. He is under contract with his current club until 2022 and considering the productivity he showed last season and the calibre he possesses, it would be a disastrous move from West Ham United if they actually decide to sell him this summer.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored