Jermaine Jenas has claimed that West Ham should let Marko Arnautovic leave the club if he is intent on making a move to China.
The Austrian has been heavily linked with a move to the Far East, and his agent and brother, Danijel, has seemingly suggest that the 29-year-old wants to go, as reported by talkSPORT.
Speaking as a pundit on Match of the Day (Saturday January 12th 2019, BBC One, 10.30pm), Jenas argued that the Hammers should cash in on their star man to avoid disruption to their season.
He said: “When I look at West Ham now, I really like the squad that they are getting together.
“I like the way Pellegrini is getting them to play and everything is positive about West Ham now. The one thing you don’t want is a player at the club who doesn’t want to be there.
“My opinion is if Arnautovic is intent on wanting to go, let him go, and use the money to bring someone else in.
“He’s been very good for them but he strikes me as a player who can make things go the other way. He’s very powerful in the way he could be in the dressing room.”
OPINION
Jenas is probably right on this one. It’s never good to have a player at a club when he doesn’t want to be there, but the character and talent of Marko Arnautovic could serve to amplify this issue, and West Ham need to find a solution quickly. The Austrian has been their star man so far this season, and for much of last, but they will know that if an offer that comes close to their valuation is received, and if the player wants to go, then it would be easier and potentially more beneficial, to let him go. The main problem they would encounter would be finding a suitable replacement to fill his boots halfway through a campaign, but if a decent fee was received then it would go a long way towards financing a move for another attacking ace. At the moment, West Ham have to be focused on keeping their momentum going, and not having their heads turned by speculation. If they can do that, Arnautovic will not matter so much.