OPINION
West Ham fans don’t need particularly long memories to remember the sale of the feted Dimitri Payet in the last but one transfer window.
Many Irons had been contemplating the imminent opening of the January window with some trepidation given the speculation of elite-club interest in Marko Arnautovic.
But it appears they can rest easy, if the latest update from the immaculately-connected Ex-WHU Employee is to be believed.
Speaking on the West Ham Way podcast on Phoenix FM on Wednesday night, he explained Manchester United have pulled the plug on their pursuit of Arnautovic following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal earlier this week.
“Mourinho leaving Man United is a good thing because he was the main reason behind the Arnautovic interest from them,” Ex-WHU Employee told the podcast (38:40). “So, I think that works well.”
The entire West Ham fan base will surely go wild with delight at this news, as it means their star striker is set to remain for the rest of the season.
The Austrian powerhouse is currently out injured, and is not expected to be back fit until the beginning of next month, at the earliest.
West Ham have coped well in his absence, but Arnautovic has been without doubt the team’s outstanding player over the last 12 months, and he is widely recognised as having doubled in value since his £24million arrival in the summer of 2017.
It is a major boost that the front man is now likely to remain beyond January, and supporters won’t have to fret about the possibility of losing him.