West Ham United will not let disgruntled attacker Marko Arnautovic depart this month, however, he will be allowed to leave in the summer, according to the Evening Standard.
The newspaper claims that the Hammers have told the 29-year-old that a January departure will not be permitted, but that he can eventually leave the London Stadium.
The club feel that the winter transfer window is not a good time to replace the Austrian, despite his obvious desire to leave the club for a money-spinning adventure in China.
West Ham want to avoid a similar situation to the one they had with talisman Dimitri Payet a couple of years ago, so will let Arnautovic leave. He will now be reintegrated back into the squad ready for the second half of the season.
OPINION
This seems like the right solution for everyone involved. Obviously, Arnautovic needs to be moved on at some point, because he clearly wants to go, but January is not the time for it to happen. Transfer prices are inflated beyond belief in mid season and time is scarce, making it incredibly difficult for the Hammers to replace someone of Arnautovic’s quality. However, if he goes in the summer they will be better able to source an affordable replacement for the talented attacker. However good the player is if he wants to leave the club then he needs to go, that’s it. So while Arnautovic is obviously a hugely important part of this West Ham squad it’s best if he moves on, provided his sale comes in the summer. Someone like Callum Wilson or Maxi Gomez would be much more affordable and easier to bring in in a few months time.
