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Marko Arnautovic: West Ham forward can leave if deal is good - Manuel Pellegrini

Last updated on .From the section West Hamcomments145

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright says West Ham should sell Marko Arnautovic this January

West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini says Marko Arnautovic can go to China if the club get a "good deal" - but added they do not want to sell the forward.

The Austrian is the subject of a £35m bid from a Chinese side, thought to be Shanghai SIPG with wages of £200,000 a week over four years on offer.

Arnautovic's brother and agent says the 29-year-old wants to move.

"When you have such a high offer everyone wants to leave, but he has a contract here," said Pellegrini.

"If I say the player must stay, the player will stay - but I think as a manager the best thing is to take the solution that is best for the player and the club, both together.

"If it's a good deal for both parties we will arrange to be without Marko.

"But the club doesn't want to sell him."

Arnautovic, who has scored seven Premier League goals this season, started West Ham's win over Arsenal on Saturday but waved to the home crowd when he was substituted with 20 minutes to go.

He moved to London Stadium from Stoke in 2017 for a then club record £20m after handing in a transfer request at the Potters. He is under contract with the Hammers until 2022.

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145 comments

  • Comment posted by DMsView, at 08:21 18 Jan 2019

    I've no problem with any player going to another team to earn more money and £35 million for a 29 year old is almost to good to turn down.

    The only thing I'd say to Arnautovic is he is adored at West Ham. If he moved he'd be just another player.

    Of course, we as West Ham fans are used to this and will carry on supporting the team regardless.

    COYI!

  • Comment posted by footyfan, at 08:31 18 Jan 2019

    Let jim go. He'll only sulk and cause trouble if he doesn't. To be fair to the player, if someone offered me four times my wage to do the same job I'd want to go as well. But China? Mmm?

  • Comment posted by Paul S , at 08:20 18 Jan 2019

    Nearly 30. Doesn't want to be there , 35 million offered ... No brainier .
    Sad how football is becoming . whoever you support .

  • Comment posted by rellis, at 09:13 18 Jan 2019

    A couple of years ago this would have been disastrous,as only part of the cash would have gone towards an inferior replacement.Now settled at London Stadium owners prepared to spend all of it and more to secure a better replacement, and with Pellegrini have a manager who can attract that sort of quality player. Take the money,thank him for his considerable efforts since he joined and wish him well

  • Comment posted by RA, at 08:32 18 Jan 2019

    I don't think there'd be many people that'd pass up a 100% pay rise but this situation is bound to occur when a team is composed of mercenaries.
    Unfortunately long gone are the days when local schoolboys came up through the system and loyalties for both players and supporters were dictated by who the local team was, not by which is top of the league.

  • Comment posted by inthroughtheoutdoor, at 09:31 18 Jan 2019

    It's a no brainer...Cash in and get shot of.

    Good Luck for the remainder of the season WHU.

    From a Spurs Fan.

  • Comment posted by D73, at 08:20 18 Jan 2019

    He's obviously a Diva motivated only by money, I would cash in on him and invest in players who care more about the football side of things.

  • Comment posted by Hedley Lamarr , at 09:22 18 Jan 2019

    re#23. JhwStoke93
    Absolutely hilarious how West Ham fans are acting shocked at this. I mean can you not remember how he left Stoke to get to West Ham? Cited "ambition". Think it was more to do with that he loves £££ rather than ambition.

    I'm yet to find one west ham fan shocked by this myself. Maybe you shouldn't take what the media report as being what west hams feel?

  • Comment posted by db, at 08:54 18 Jan 2019

    50 million and say goodbye to him . Adios Marko .

  • Comment posted by David Windsor, at 08:38 18 Jan 2019

    In his place I think I'd prefer to play in the UK in a decent PL side in one of the best leagues in the world, assuming I was getting a regular game & was treated fairly here. I wouldn't volunteer to spend my next few years in a country where I couldn't speak/read the language, had no friends and couldn't even get about on my own just for a bit more money. But then of course I'm not a mercenary.

  • Comment posted by D1679400558106, at 08:08 18 Jan 2019

    Arnie should stay in the premier league. He’s too talented to be playing in China with lesser players. Hardly challenging himself going to China. Will be like part time football and three times the wage. How can China offer such big wages? More money then sense when a lot of their population is poor. That’s great priorities there!

  • Comment posted by Largewomble, at 08:13 18 Jan 2019

    I remember what the guy was like at Stoke at the end when he didn't want to be there and was dreadful, I have a feeling West Ham are about to see the same player

  • Comment posted by collybuckiechucky, at 09:25 18 Jan 2019

    Long gone are the day's when a player stays at a club for most of their career.This is due to the ridiculous amounts of money in the top leagues but I'd hardly call China a top league! yet some of these "top players" are over their making their millions it is a perverse paradox that its used to be a game for the working class but Sky/BT and people actually feed the greed in football,such a shame!.

  • Comment posted by Demonic, at 10:10 18 Jan 2019

    £50m, a transfer request, then get shot. As long as we don't have to pay him a penny. A replacement would be good but we did OK while he was out. Maybe Anderson will step up again.

    This guff about trophies. I won a Mickey Mouse China Cup. Whoopee.

    We know it's just for the money.

    Just shows how greedy players are. Who needs a final pay day when you've had 100K+ per week for years?

  • Comment posted by Raedwulf, at 08:47 18 Jan 2019

    @9&10: Congratulations! You've fallen for a very obvious piece of trolling. Posts like 3 & 4 are better ignored, they're only seeking a response.

    As for Arnautovic, an earlier report this week said he is being a model pro... so far. So he hasn't started sulking... yet. Only time will tell, but he must realise that West Ham won't let him go unless they can get a replacement in first?

  • Comment posted by mitch, at 08:19 18 Jan 2019

    some players seem to be motivated pureley by greed always moving on before completing a contract. usually represented by a money grabbing agent looking to line their pockets at his nd the clubs expence. its seems usually s american or eastern europeans. they dont care about clubs or fans.

  • Comment posted by brian the cat, at 08:27 18 Jan 2019

    Eggman . He’s also Austrian you muppet.

  • Comment posted by tosca21, at 09:42 18 Jan 2019

    He came to Stoke as the bad boy of Europe as nobody else wanted him. He settled down and became a good player until he wanted away which proves he will be hard to keep at West ham because of his Temperament

  • Comment posted by Irons45, at 09:02 18 Jan 2019

    @23 not one post on here has a west ham fan say they are shocked. So before you post look at what's been said. It's just a mix of people calling him a mercenary or others like myself understanding that his head is turned by such money

  • Comment posted by Hedley Lamarr , at 09:59 18 Jan 2019

    re#16. Coolverine

    Big loss for West Ham if he goes.

    Not really. He came in when Moyes was at the club. Since then Pellegrini has shown he chooses great players and west ham spend the correct money. Anderson, Nasri, Fabianski, Balbuena, Diop. Barring the two arsenal rejects, the fans trust him to buy well with money received for a player who "needs" the money (along with his brother)

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