Marko Arnautovic has joined West Ham from Stoke City.
West Ham announced the signing of Marko Arnautovic, who joined the Hammers on Saturday for a club-record fee of £25 million, according to reports from The Guardian.
Arnautovic joined Stoke City in 2013, from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, and quickly established himself as a key player for the Potters, scoring 26 goals in 145 appearances for the Premier League club.
Stoke City rejected two bids from West Ham for Arnautovic, but in the end they had agreed to a £20 million offer plus an additional £5 million in potential add-ons.
Austria’s Marko Arnautovic looks dejected at the end of the match
Former West Ham player Steve Lomas has described the move as a “good signing”. He believes that the 28-year-old is not a like for like replacement of Dimitri Payet, as both are completely different players.
Lomas says that Arnautovic has got pace, power, skill and Premier League experience to be a success at the London club.
However, where West Ham will really benefit from him is by using his versatility, as the player can play up front on his own, out wide, or behind the main striker.
“He’s a different player to Dimitri Payet. He’s got pace, he’s got power and he’s just as silky – I think it’s a good signing. Arnautovic can play up front on his own, he can play out wide or he can play in behind, so it gives the manager plenty of options too,” said Lomas in an interview to Bwin.
He will bolster Slaven Bilic’s squad following the addition of Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart (on loan from Manchester City), and the imminent transfer of Javier Hernandez.
Lomas expects West Ham to be pushing for the top half of the Premier League table this term, and says the fans expect more positive and attacking football at home.
He added: “West Ham need to be pushing for the top half of the table. We definitely want to be looking up rather than down when you look at the squad that we’re assembling. A cup run would be great, but the fans want to see more positive and attacking football – definitely at home.”
General view inside the London Stadium
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