Chelsea are eyeing up a swoop for West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic as the club look to secure a new striker before the end of the January transfer window, according to ESPN.
The broadcaster claim that sources close to Chelsea have revealed that Arnautovic is the latest target in their striker hunt, which has seen them linked with the Austrian’s West Ham teammate Andy Carroll.
ESPN report that Antonio Conte is keen to bring in a target man this month, and 28-year-old Arnautovic is now being considered.
The Austria international was a £25million summer signing from Stoke City, and is in the form of his life since David Moyes’ appointment with six goals and three assists in his last eight Premier League games.
Good move for West Ham?
No, absolutely not.
Arnautovic was their marquee signing of the summer, and while he disappointed to begin with, the enigmatic forward has really come to the fore in recent weeks.
His form has been brilliant for the Hammers as they have slowly climbed the table away from the bottom three, and they cannot afford to lose him now.
Whatever the money involved, this would be an ill-advised move for Moyes to make.
This is Futbol rating: 2/10
Likely to happen?
For those very reasons stated above, this one is highly unlikely.
West Ham will know how important Arnautovic is to them, and will do everything in their power to keep him.
The likelihood is that Chelsea will not be willing to pay more than the £25million the Hammers paid for him in the summer, and that surely rules out any move.
One issue may be Arnautovic himself, as the Austrian is a notoriously ambitious player who admitted that Stoke were just a stepping stone in his career.
This is Futbol rating: 3/10