West Ham United’s summer transfer business has come under scrutiny after their poor start to the season.
The Hammers have made a slow start to their 2017/18 campaign, and Slaven Bilic once again finds himself under intense pressure, with his side currently sitting in 18th position in the Premier League table, after a return of just four points from their opening six league games.
The Croatian’s summer transfer business has been questionable to say the least, with many of his big-name signings having failed to impress as yet, albeit at such an early stage of the season.
One West Ham new boy in particular who already finds himself under scrutiny is Marko Arnautović, who signed from Stoke City in July, for a fee believed to be in the region of £24 million.
Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United in action
He is still yet to register either a goal or an assist in five outings in all competitions for the east London outfit, and the question has to be asked, could Bilic have found greater value in the market than the Austrian this summer?
The simple answer is yes.
Wolves ace Helder Costa was available for just £20 million this summer, £4 million cheaper than Arnautović, according to the Mirror, and the Portuguese ace would have been a far more exciting, forward-thinking addition than the 28-year-old Austrian.
Arnautovic scored just six goals and chipped in with only five assists in 32 Premier League outings for the Potters last term, whilst Costa contributed with 10 goals and eight assists in 35 appearances for Wolves.
The former Benfica man is also five years younger than the Austrian, and it could be argued that he has the potential to easily surpass the Hammers man’s levels.
Read here what Slaven Bilic told his players during half-time break against Tottenham
It is still early days, however, and Arnautovic has plenty of time left in which to prove himself as an elite player.
The longer his barren spell goes on though, the more pressure there will be on him, and questions regarding Slaven Bilic’s transfer acumen will only increase in intensity.
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