Marko Arnautovic: West Ham forward 'wants club to accept £35m Chinese bid'
Last updated on .From the section West Ham
West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic "is not for sale" - despite the player's agent and brother saying he wants to move to a Chinese club.
The Hammers have received a £35m bid for the Austrian from an unnamed side in China.
The 29-year-old has scored seven Premier League goals this season.
His agent and brother, Danijel Arnautovic, told Talksport on Thursday it is his client's "great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China".
A West Ham spokesperson said: "Marko has a contract and we fully expect him to honour it. He is not for sale."
Arnautovic moved to London Stadium for a club-record £20m fee from Stoke in July 2017 and his contract runs until 2022.
A club, believed to be Chinese champions Shanghai SIPG, is understood to have bid £35m for Arnautovic with wages understood to be £200,000 a week over a four-year contract.
Danijel Arnautovic added: "West Ham bought Marko for peanuts. They paid £20m for him, which is nothing in the current market.
"They bought him to keep them in the Premier League last season and he did that. He took every award at the club; best player, signing of the season and the players' award.
"Now West Ham have a fantastic offer. It is close to double what they paid for him.
"He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles."
At a news conference on Thursday, West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini admitted it could be difficult to keep the forward in the future.
"Those are all rumours," said the Chilean. "We know we have a very good player in Marko, a lot of clubs may want him to play for them. At the moment we have no news about him.
"I don't want to talk about things that might happen. Marko in this moment is a player of our team, players of his quality and other players like Declan Rice, Felipe Anderson, other clubs will want them but that is one thing. I don't think they will go.
"I want to keep him, of course, but you never know what might happen in the future."
West Ham, 10th in the Premier League, host fifth-placed Arsenal on Saturday (12:30 GMT) and Pellegrini expects Arnautovic to play.
"Marko and all the other players involved in rumours have their heads here," added Pellegrini.
"They want to continue playing the way they have been so far and I am sure he will have his head in the game against Arsenal."
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It’s simple.
Money = go to China
Football = stay at West Ham
If a top 4 side comes in. No one will blame you for leaving.
"Now West Ham have a fantastic offer. It is close to double what they paid for him.
"He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
You mean he wants the money!
With a 20% sell on fee due to Stoke, if West Ham accepted this, it would be a mere £5m profit.
His brother/agent is talking nonsense as usual
In November his Brother was quoted "@29 Marko wants to play Champs league" now he says "He wants to go to a new market & challenge for titles."
Slight change of direction there?
Make your mind up Man!
Players only go to China for 1 reason?
I haven't got a problem with that, just don't insult my intelligence by giving me a Cock & Bull story, just tell me you're going for the CASH!
Managers, players & owners alike (apart from obvious exceptions) treat our clubs with contempt!
Shame as West Ham have done right by him. Weren't many who were keen on him after underwhelming Stoke spell.
Does he seriously anyone will believe this is a football decision? His talentless brother says that £20m is peanuts! That is roughly Spurs nett spend for last 5 years
Playing for the team means absolutely nothing now, it's all me, me, me and how much can I rinse out of these fools.
Mercenary of the year?
It's not as if he is leaving a club offering him the chance of winning trophies either.
I wish in these situations players would just come out and say I want the move for financial reasons.I would have more respect to them.