West Ham are ‘confident’ of keeping striker Marco Arnautovic at the club this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claims that the Hammers’ alleged pursuit of Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon will not affect the 77-time Austrian international’s first-team chances next season.
The Hammers are also thought to be interested in bringing Rondon to the London Stadium, but the Mail says that the 29-year-old will only be signed as backup.
Arnautovic, signed from Stoke City two years ago, scored 10 Premier League goals in 28 appearances for the East Londoners last season.
OPINION
While Arnautovic’s form has been slightly worse this season than it was last term, there is no doubt that the 30-year-old is still Manuel Pellegrini’s top choice up front. Last season, he netted 11 Premier League goals and notched six assists. However, with Javier Hernandez – the club’s current second-choice striker – only scoring seven league goals in 25 appearances, the Hammers do need another striker with more firepower, and Rondon can certainly provide that. Coming off the back of his best-ever season in front of goal in England – he has shown that he can be a real asset to any team’s strike force, and he would be a great addition to the Hammers. West Ham are looking to kick on next season after Pellegrini brought the club back under control with a 10th-placed finish, so they will need sufficient backup to get them further up the table next season and fighting for seventh place.