‘Marco Polo exploration’: Karren Brady suggests one reported West Ham transfer simply won’t happen

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West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has suggested in The Sun that the club will not bring back Marko Arnautovic.

Earlier this month, Tutto Bologna Web reported that West Ham are among the clubs interested in signing Arnautovic in the summer transfer window.

Crystal Palace and Bologna were also named in the report in the Italian news publication.

However, judging by Brady’s latest comments on Arnautovic, it appears that West Ham have no intention whatsoever of bringing back the 32-year-old.

Brady wrote in The Sun: “It doesn’t appear to have for Marko Arnautovic, who left West Ham two years ago after a shortish but successful stay — successful in goals terms at least.

“The Austrian and his feckless agent-brother decided riches offered by Shanghai SIPG overbid the recent contract he had signed at West Ham and consequently there was a bad atmosphere around. Again, we were forced to let him go.

“Arnautovic has now done his Marco Polo exploration to China and wants to return home. A football club is actually a delicate mechanism, built on trust and team integrity. Every man or woman must pull their weight or the edifice falls, sometimes to the division below.

“Nothing cracks the walls like the fakers of injury and non- triers whose disruption stems from wanting their own way. Team-mates know who they are and soon there may be havoc in the dressing room. I have heard of fights in the showers and even a punch-up involving the manager.

“The trick where possible is not to let it get to the point where a player wants to leave. This is not always possible and is particularly the case when a star is not tempted by wealth.”

Arnautovic left the Hammers for Shanghai Port under controversial circumstances in 2019.

The 32-year-old Austria international forward scored 43 goals in 184 appearances in the league for West Ham.

This is not the first time that Arnautovic has been linked with a return to West Ham.

The Mirror reported in January 2020 that Arnautovic wanted to return to the Hammers, but nothing materialised.

Arnautovic is 32 now, and if West Ham are to go to the next level and regularly challenge for the Champions League places, then they need younger players who are at the top of their game.