West Ham United forward Marko Arnautovic was absent during his side’s Premier League clash against Liverpool on Monday night.
Stuart Pearce has shared that Marko Arnautovic is a ‘popular member’ of the West Ham dressing room after recent speculation about his future.
As reported by Sky Sports, during the January transfer window, the 29-year-old was attracting interest from the Chinese Super League, interest which he found very ‘tempting’.
But as stated in the above report, the Hammers forward opted to stay at the London Stadium and, as a result, rule out a move before the window finally shut last Thursday.
Former England defender Pearce, who was on the coaching staff at West Ham during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, offered his thoughts on the recent drama surrounding Arnautovic.
“Zabaleta came out and said something,” Pearce told Sky Sports News on 04/02/2019. “He’s somebody I have worked with and respect gratefully. Whatever comes out of his mouth, it is fair to say, it is best listening to. If he says it’s disruptive. It’s fair to say it has.
“What I would say is Marko is a very popular member of the dressing room. They like him. They like his ability at the club and they like him as an individual. He’s an intelligent boy.”
During the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, Slaven Bilic was sacked as manager in November, with the Hammers appointing David Moyes to replace him in the dugout.
The Scotsman opted to move Arnautovic, who was previously playing on the left-hand side, through the middle in order to get the best out of the player.
It worked a treat as he racked up the goals and help the east London outfit survive comfortably before Moyes and his backroom staff, including Pearce departed the club in the summer.
Over the course of this campaign, Arnautovic has played 19 games in all competitions under Manuel Pellegrini, scoring eight goals and supplying his teammates with two assists.
He was not part of the West Ham squad that drew 1-1 with current league leaders Liverpool on Monday night [BBC Sport].
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