Former Stoke City midfielder Mike Pejic has said that he believes that Marko Arnautovic is chasing money by pushing for a move to West Ham.
Pejic was critical of Arnautovic, saying, “I would be scratching my head wondering why Marko Arnautovic was so set on a move to West Ham if we weren’t all aware of the money being passed through the Premier League these days.
“The agent who secured Romelu Lukaku a move to Manchester United made a cool £10m apparently, more than he would have got from taking him to Chelsea. I wonder why he ended up at Old Trafford? It’s the same fella, Mino Raiola, who took £41m from getting Paul Pogba to Man Utd from Juventus.
“It’s big money and cuts from transfer fees as well as signing-on fees will be tempting, even if West Ham and Stoke must be offering pretty similar packages in terms of wages.
“I’m sorry West Ham fans but they just don’t offer a considerable step up than if Arnautovic stayed put. Look at the cash Everton are spending just to stay in the top seven. You’re talking more than £100m and West Ham just don’t have that kind of ambition.”
The striker has been linked with a move to the Hammers and recently handed in a transfer request to the Potters, which indicates that he wants the transfer to happen.
The Hammers have also seen two bids of £17 and £20 million rejected for the 28-year-old striker. Mark Hughes side are reportedly wanting a figure in the region of £30 million for a sale to happen.
The Hammers are looking to bolster their strike options after Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll were hampered by injuries last season.
