West Ham’s summer business this year simply has to be spot on, and one man that has been strongly linked with a move to the London Stadium is Marko Arnautovic.
The Stoke City attacker has handed in a transfer request at his club and is ready to force through a move away this summer. West Ham appear to be the likely destination for the Austrian international, too, and they’ve already made efforts to sign him.
Two opening offers of £15m and £20m respectively have been submitted by the Hammers, and both have been turned down by Stoke.
Recent reports suggest the Potters are keen to make around £22m from the sale of their key man this summer, and West Ham are prepared to move back in with a third, improved bid.
It’s clear to see that Arnautovic is a genuine target for Slaven Bilic. However, this begs the question – would he be a good signing for West Ham?
I’ve weighed up the pros and cons of signing Arnautovic this summer.
Experience
One positive side to signing Arnautovic would be that West Ham would be getting an experienced player at this level. He’s been a Stoke player since 2013 and therefore boasts knowledge of the league. He’s tried and tested.
Value for money
However, even in a market with such inflated transfer fees, paying upwards of £20m for a player like Arnautovic is nothing short of excessive. You’d like to think that there are better options out there for such money.
Versatility
One aspect of Arnautovic’s game that is promising for West Ham is that he’s a versatile player. He can play all across the front three and comfortable in a variety of positions.
Attitude
Something that appears to let Arnautovic down is his attitude. He often drifts in and out of games, and looks disinterested. Discipline is often an issue, too.
Aggression
A beneficial aspect of Arnatuovic’s game, though, is his aggressive style of play. While this ties in with his disciplinary issues, West Ham could use a player that drives at their opposition and shows aggression going forward. This is sure to be an attractive prospect for Bilic.
Age
Arnautovic is already 28, and isn’t realistically going to get any better. He’s arguably on the decline already, and has showed no real signs recently that he will progress. It’s not really the type of signing that West Ham should be making at this stage, with them looking to kick on.
Inconsistency
Lastly, Arnautovic is hugely inconsistent. He does have his moments, but is considerably ineffective on the whole. He struggles to perform consistently at a high level, and has found himself encountering problems when hitting form. The Hammers need consistency, and Arnautovic is surely not the man to provide them with that.
The cons probably outweigh the pros, with this one.