West Ham have sold Marko Arnautovic.
Marko Arnautovic’s tenure at West Ham is over, report The Telegraph.
Arnautovic has been sold to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG for £22 million.
Considering the funds clubs in China have and West Ham’s previous valuations of Arnautovic, it’s a cheap fee.
And sure, West Ham could have dragged it out and held out for somewhere between £30-40 million.
But for the sake of the difference, West Ham have gained a lot more.
The Arnautovic saga drained the energy out of the club in January, including the players.
West Ham’s swift and decisive action has prevented that happening this summer, at a time when positivity is absolutely crucial.
It secures the funds immediately, rather than when it’s too late to spend it, and West Ham can now focus on planning.
West Ham took the pragmatic view that life’s too short expending their energy trying to keep a player who wants to leave, especially when his motivation is money.
They were best off getting rid, and the club have done well to put a swift end to prevent it dragging on and taking over their summer.
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