Marko Arnautovic could reportedly be on his way out of West Ham United after one superb Premier League season at the London Stadium.
It has been a brilliant summer for West Ham United so far. They could have solved their defensive problems with the additions of Lukas Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks and Issa Diop while Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson have also arrived in big-money deals to add a little sprinkling of stardust up top.
But there could be a sting in the tail.
According to Italian publication Leggo, West Ham have made the shock decision to offer Marko Arnautovic to Roma.
Arnautovic was the shining light in a difficult 2017/18 season for the Hammers. He was their top scorer with 11 Premier League goals, some of them truly stunning, and he did a fine job in an unfamiliar centre-forward position.
But, after paying a club-record £40 million for Anderson, Arnautovic’s place in his favoured left-wing position is under threat.
And Leggo is reporting that West Ham could cash in for less than £20 million, meaning they would make a substantial loss on a player who became their club-record signing when he arrived from Stoke last summer for £25 million.
It is understood that the 29-year-old’s agent has been spotted in Roma but, for now, it seems that the capital club do not see the Austrian as a priority target. Director of football Monchi would prefer to sign Fiorentina’s Federico Chiesa instead.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
