West Ham legend Tony Cottee has urged Marko Arnautovic to get his head down and focus on his football after the Austrian’s sensational transfer U-turn.
The 29-year-old took to social media on Friday night to announce that he would be staying at the London Stadium after a lengthy saga that has seen him linked with a move to China, as reported by the BBC.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, (Saturday January 26, 11.30am), former Hammer Cottee expressed his gladness at the decision.
He said: “It’s always difficult when a player gets linked with other clubs, whether it’s China or here or wherever with the vast amounts of money being involved. I think Marko had his head turned, there’s no doubt about that.
“I don’t think his agent did him any favours by coming out and saying what he did, saying that you’re going to China to win titles. I think it would have been better and more appropriate to say ‘he’s considering it because it’s such a good financial offer’.
“It looks like it’s fallen through, which is great news for West Ham fans. I love him as a player, I love watching him play. He’s issued a statement, just get your head down now, play your football.”
OPINION
Nobody will have seen Arnautovic’s sudden U-turn coming, but what a bonus it could be for West Ham and their fans. The Austrian has been an integral part of their team ever since he joined from Stoke City, and so much of what they do is built around him. The Hammers appeared to have been preparing themselves for the worst, and it will now be interesting to see whether or not they push ahead with the proposed moves they have been looking at to find his replacement. If they do push on and spend big, and now that the 29-year-old is staying, the Irons could go from being a team on the cusp of losing their most attacking force, to one that has, on paper, one of the most formidable frontlines outside of the top six. What a transformation that would be, and the Hammers will now feel that they have all the tools at their disposal to really go for that seventh spot they crave.