Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovic has handed in a formal transfer request to leave the club amid West Ham interest, according to a reliable Sky journalist.
Kaveh Solhekol, Sky Sports news reporter, tweeted the news on his verified Twitter account to his 99,000 followers on Monday.
The journalist revealed that the imposing 28-year-old, who stands at 6ft 4in, had handed in a transfer request to Stoke despite being contracted at the club for a further three years.
Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovi? has handed in a transfer request. West Ham want him. Has Stoke contract to 2020
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) July 10, 2017
Arnautovic joined the Premier League side from Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen in 2013 in a deal which costed just over £2 million, and his deal is set to expire in 2020.
Since moving to Stoke the Austrian winger has made a total of 145 appearances across four seasons, where he scored 26 goals and provided 32 assists.
Slaven Bilic will be eager to add more attacking options to bolster his Hammers squad this summer as the club managed to score just 47 goals throughout the entire season.
The West Ham boss is keen to secure the experienced Stoke winger, as Arnautovic managed to net two goals against the Hammers last season and showed his talent first hand.
Arnautovic’s decision to ask to quit Stoke demonstrates his desire to leave and is a huge boost to West Ham in their pursuit.
Bilic is yet to make much of an impact in the transfer window, as the West Ham boss has secured just one signing so far.
Pablo Zabaleta, 32, moved to the London stadium from Manchester City on a free transfer after his contract at the Etihad expired in June.