West Ham United’s board reportedly felt that Marko Arnautovic was worth more than what they have sold him for.
According to a report from The Telegraph, West Ham’s board decided to let Marko Arnautovic leave for a fee below their valuation of the Austrian because Manuel Pellegrini was keen to have the forward off the club’s books this summer.
Arnautovic has now completed his move to Shanghai SIPG, with The Telegraph reporting that the Chinese Super League side have paid £22.4 million for the Hammers’ top goalscorer.
It has brought an end to a saga that began in January. The Telegraph suggests that Arnautovic wanted to leave the London Stadium during the previous window, but was ultimately convinced to stay with a new contract that took his wages to £120,000-a-week.
And it appears that ending that saga was more important to Pellegrini than getting a better fee for the 30-year-old. The report notes that the West Ham board had a higher valuation, but agreed to sell Arnautovic for less with the boss wanting to offload the former Stoke City man as soon as possible.
As good as Arnautovic was on the pitch at times during his Hammers spell, the large majority of supporters are likely to be pleased that he has now left and the club can move on. It was becoming clear that, had he stayed, the Irons would have to deal with fresh exit rumours as soon as every window opened.
He does leave a void that West Ham have to fill before the new season starts. But it should not come as a huge surprise if the club find themselves in a better position now that he has gone.
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