According to Sky Sports, Manchester United are circling West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic after a fine debut season at the London Stadium, albeit one that started with a string of profligate performances that questioned the club’s decision to bring him in from Stoke City at a cost of £25million.
It appears the Irons are hoping to fend off interest by slapping their talismanic attacker with a £50million price-tag, which would set a new club-record transfer fee received for the east Londoners – doubling their intake from Dimitri Payet’s departure 18 months ago.
But that figure is by no means out of reach for Manchester United, so what would happen if the Red Devils met West Ham’s valuation and the Irons decided to sell to their Premier League rivals? Football FanCast look at three key consequences of the potential £50million deal taking place…
Manuel Pellegrini gets the funds to make his mark
London Evening Standard report that Pellegrini will be given around £75million to spend this summer, although some of that will need to be funded through player sales, but cashing in on Arnautovic would probably leave the Chilean a much bigger kitty to play with in a bid to really make his mark on this West Ham team.
And while Arnautovic is a hugely popular figure amongst the fan base after such a fine second half of the season, the east London club need to be pragmatic about the situation. They’d be doubling the money they spent on the Austrian attacker just one year ago, and £50million is a phenomenal sum for a 29-year-old. In fact, it will probably be the last huge offer they receive for Arnautovic and Transfermarkt value him at less than half of that, £22.5million.
In the right hands, that money could go a really long way and allow Pellegrini to bring in a younger superstar of similarly talismanic ability. That could well be Joao Mario, who was on loan at West Ham for the second half of last season and put in some impressive goalscoring performances. Supporters want him to stay and sign permanently but the Irons appear reluctant to meet Inter Milan’s £26million valuation and want a second loan deal instead.
West Ham enter another season under a dark cloud
Of course, it depends on how well West Ham spend the money they receive for Arnautovic, but his departure will inevitably upset a strong section of supporters who are still far from impressed with the direction David Gold and David Sullivan have taken the club over the last few years, particularly since the move to the London Stadium.
The appointment of Pellegrini has quite rightly raised spirits and created a level of optimism heading into next season, but that feel-good factor generated by West Ham’s new manager could quickly corrode if the fans feel Gold and Sullivan are once again leaving the club short-changed in the transfer market.
And we saw only a few months ago how debasing supporter disillusionment can be at West Ham, when the 3-0 defeat to Burnley almost descended into a full-scale riot. If selling Arnautovic were to be combined with a slow start to the season, we could see more protests from supporters – and that only affects West Ham’s chances on the pitch.
Andy Carroll earns another chance & Martinez gets the nod
Per The Sun, Pellegrini is set to give Carroll another chance at West Ham after another season plagued by injuries that ended with him falling out with David Moyes inevitably put question marks over his future in east London. But selling Arnautovic would be a big boost for the England international, freeing up a spot in attack for him to occupy.
Not every Irons supporter will see that as a good thing; Carroll has consistently proved he’s not dependable enough to build the team around, despite how effective a centre-forward he is when fit. However, there’s still a strong section of Hammers fans who adore the 29-year-old and Pellegrini’s customary use of 4-4-2 could bring about some of his best form since leaving Newcastle in January 2012.
And because Pellegrini likes to play with two out-and-out strikers, Arnautovic’s departure could have a similarly positive effect on youngster Toni Martinez as well. West Ham fans are very excited about the 20-year-old prospect but he’s only featured for the club in the FA Cup, spending most last term out on loan – which seems the likeliest scenario for next season too.
With Arnautovic moving on though, Pellegrini might decide to give the Spaniard the nod as his fourth-choice striker.
So, West Ham fans, would you sell Arnautovic for £50million? Let us know by voting below…
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