West Ham United’s Marko Arnautovic played with Peter Crouch at Stoke City.
Arnautovic was on the books of Stoke from 2013 until the summer of 2017, when he joined West Ham for an initial transfer fee reported by The Telegraph to be worth £20 million.
The 29-year-old, who can operate as a forward or as a winger, played with Crouch at Stoke, and the former Tottenham Hotspur striker has pointed out his lack of consistency.
Crouch, though, has spoken highly of Arnautovic, who had a loan spell at Italian giants Inter Milan in 2009-10 from FC Twente.
Crouch wrote about Arnautovic in The Daily Mail: “I was gutted when he left Stoke and I don’t think we would be in the position we are now if he had stayed with the club for another year.
“He’s top-class and could literally play for any team in the Premier League, he’s got such ability.”
The Stoke striker added: “What Marko has struggled with is consistency. I’m convinced that’s the only reason the top sides have not taken him.
“If he strings together some of the performances he’s shown over two seasons, West Ham are going to find plenty of clubs will come in for him.”
Stats
Arnautovic has scored three goals and provided one assist in five Premier League appearances for West Ham so far this campaign, according to WhoScored.
During the 2017-18 campaign, the 29-year-old Austria international found the net 11 times and provided six assists in 28 league starts for the Hammers, according to WhoScored.
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