West Ham United have reportedly received a bid from an unknown Chinese club worth £35m for the services of star forward Marko Arnautovic.
The Austrian has been a crucial cog in Manuel Pellegrini's rejuvenation of the Hammers this season, providing eight goals and two assists in his 17 appearances across competitions. His form has earned him links with Manchester United and Chelsea, among others.
But, according to Head of TalkSport and West Ham season ticket holder Lee Clayton, both those Premier League giants have been pipped to the post by a Chinese club, after they put an offer of £35m on the table for the 29-year-old.
West Ham have received a bid in excess of £35million for Marko Arnautovic. The bid is from a Chinese club. They want to reject it. The wages will be amazing. Hard to keep him. More to follow on @talkSPORTDrive
— Lee Clayton (@LeeClayton_) January 9, 2019
While it is expected that the Irons will not want to accept the idea, it is understood that the wages involved are incredibly enticing for the player, making it hard to assure fans that the club will be able to hold on to their joint top scorer.
Despite being intermittently blighted by injury this term, the striker remains the club's most formidable goalscorer, with a score every 149 minutes for the east London outfit.
Arnautovic has been in a purple patch of late, with three goals in his last two appearances against Brighton in the league and Birmingham in the FA Cup third round.
However, that latest showing was not all sunshine and roses, as he was forced off the field with just 20 minutes played.
Fortunately, it was not a re-hash of his hamstring problems, and appeared to be an issue in his back, which isn't expected to keep him out of the Hammers next game against Arsenal at the London Stadium this weekend.
Source : 90min