West Ham United winger Michail Antonio has confirmed that Marko Arnautovic wants to go from the east London club amid the interest from the Chinese Super League. The Austria international has transformed into the go-to man for the Hammers upfront over the past 18 months but his immediate future remains a concern amid the big-money offer from the Far East.
Arnautovic had waved his goodbyes to the Hammers’ faithful when he was substituted during the Hammers’ stunning 1-0 league win over Arsenal at the weekend and Antonio has admitted that the former Stoke City man could be making way with the prospect of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the Chinese Super League.
“Obviously there is interest, everyone knows that Marko wants to go. He’s massive for the club, I think he’s joint top goalscorer, he’s a massive player for us, the fans love him. It’s just one of those things where in his life right now he feels this is another step for him. I think he’s going to probably one of the best clubs over there [in China] and might be able to win some trophies,” he told Sky Sports.
West Ham had recently clarified their not-for-stance on the Austrian footballer but manager Manuel Pellegrini was tight-lipped about ruling out a potential transfer in the aftermath of the Gunners game. The striker is currently the subject of a £35m bid from an unnamed Chinese club with wages of nearly £200,000-a-week and it appears that the striker’s future could take the same route like Dimitri Payet, who forced through a departure during the winter of 2017.
Nonetheless, the club would require a quality replacement in the ranks with Andy Carroll, Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez not enjoying the best of seasons and that may potentially urge them to hold on to the marksman, though the player’s commitment could come into question amid the desire to move on. West Ham are scheduled to face Bournemouth on the road this weekend.
