West Ham United are ready to offer an £20million improved bid in order to land Stoke City playmaker Marko Arnautovic this summer, according to the Times.
It is said that Stoke have already rejected a £15million offer from the East London side for the 28-year-old but the Times claims that the Hammers will continue to pursue the player during the transfer window.
The newspaper claims that Mark Hughes’ side are prepared to do business with their Premier League rivals should the Hammers come in with a £20million offer even though they are reluctant to sell the Austrian this summer.
Arnautovic appears determined to leave the bet365 Stadium this summer after Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol recently revealed on his official Twitter account that the playmaker has handed in a transfer request.
The giant Austrian, who stands at 6ft4in, has become one of Stoke’s biggest attacking threats since securing a permanent move to England in 2013.
The attacking midfielder was in fine form for Stoke last season, contributing with seven goals and six assists in all competitions.
Arnautovic had also proven himself on the international stage with the Austria national team, making a total of 62 appearances and notching up an impressive 15 goals for his country.
The midfielder currently has three years remaining on his contract with Stoke.