Noel Whelan has urged West Ham to cash in on Marko Arnautovic.
The Austrian came close to a move to China back in January, before eventually signing a new deal with the Hammers, but former Coventry City man and BBC Leeds pundit Whelan believes the Irons should move him on.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “Can West Ham afford another season with someone like that? No.
“What about when he fancies not playing anymore? He’s tried to force a move away once and he’ll do it again when it suits him.
“He’s a snowflake character. He ruffles feathers on the pitch and is unpopular in the dressing room. If you could get £40million for him, that’s good business.
“You can’t rely on him and that’s the problem.”
OPINION
How do you solve a problem like Marko? The forward is without a doubt the most lethal player at Manuel Pellegrini’s disposal when his head is in the right place, but far too often, he seems to be somewhere else entirely. That’s a real problem for the Irons. You can be the most talented player in the world, but if you’re not willing to put in the hard yards and graft for your teammates, then what’s the use? You can understand why Whelan is advocating selling him, and £40 million would certainly come in handy, but it would also be a huge task replacing a player of Arnautovic’s creativity. The question that has to be asked is whether or not Pellegrini believes he can get his star turn under control. If the answer is yes, happy days. If it’s not, then Arnie has to go. That would be a shame, but sometimes you have to just bite the bullet.