Robbie Fowler has delivered his verdict on West Ham United striker Marko Arnautovic by comparing him to former player Dimitri Payet.
Payet made a name for himself upon his arrival in East London, but things eventually turned sour when he demanded a transfer – and Fowler believes that the same thing may happen with fan favourite Arnautovic amid talk about his future at the London Stadium.
Arnautovic has established himself as an important figure at West Ham ever since David Moyes chose to play him up front, but Fowler says that the star is beginning to get a bit of “an ego” lately.
“Payet – a big, big player for West Ham. Scored goals, fans loved him and you can potentially see the same in Arnautovic,” he said on Sky Sports‘ ‘The Debate’.
“Fans love him there, he’s a wonderful player, scores goals, he’s doing all the celebrations, getting all the fans on his side but there’ll be a time when he’ll be off his pop because he does seem that player.
“He does seem to have a bit of an ego and maybe going to a bigger club in stature, maybe that is not a bad thing for him.”
OPINION
West Ham may not want a repeat of what happened with Payet, but if Fowler’s remarks are anything to go by, that fate looks firmly on the cards. He is right, Arnautovic does look like a player who has a bit of an ego, and this may be the thing that eventually drives him out of the London Stadium. He may be a fan favourite for the time being, but there will be a time where they could potentially turn against him if he continues with the type of attitude that Fowler thinks he is displaying. Anyway, is there much more that can be said about this saga? Nobody has a clue whether Arnautovic will leave anytime soon and if the time does come, it may come as a surprise to many. While that may be the worst case scenario in many people’s minds, it is a potential situation that West Ham must prepare for.
