Marko Arnautovic joined West Ham United from Stoke City in the summer transfer window.
West Ham signed Arnautovic from Premier League rivals Stoke in the summer of 2017 for a transfer fee reported by The Guardian to be worth £25 million.
The 28-year-old winger, who can also operate as a forward, was one of the best players at the Potters, but the Austria international has only just started to play well for the Hammers.
Stoke manager Hughes has revealed what he told Arnautovic while trying to persuade him not to make the switch to West Ham in the summer transfer window.
“People have looked at Marko for many seasons – he’s been in the Premier League now for a long time,” Hughes told The Daily Mail.
“Everybody has seen him and come up against him and I think he hoped he’d be going to the next level but that wasn’t the case.
‘That’s why we argued ‘why are you going sideways when we would encourage you to go higher if that’s what you want to do?’”
Arnautovic is likely to start for West Ham against Stoke away from home at the bet365 Stadium in the Premier League game between the two sides on Saturday afternoon.
It will be the first time that the former FC Twente star will face the Potters since leaving them in the summer.
Ahead of the match, former West Ham and Stoke winger Matthew Etherington has warned that Arnautovic will get a frosty reception.
Etherington told talkSPORT: “I don’t think they’ll be too friendly! I’ve played with the Stoke fans and they’re fantastic if they’re on your side, but they can be very hostile and the manner in which he went left a sour taste in the Stoke fans’ mouth.
“Marko’s a decent player and I’m sure that’ll galvanise him. He will get a frosty reception, no doubt about that.”
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