Shay Given has delivered his verdict on how important it is that West Ham United keep hold of their striker Marko Arnautovic.
The star forward was recently the subject of a £35million bid from an unknown Chinese club according to Sky Sports, and Given has outlined how bad it would be if the Hammers did end up losing the Austrian any time soon.
He commented on how Arnautovic has a great impact on the team with the amount of goals he scores – his tally is 11 so far for the season despite being injured previously – adding how much of a setback it would be if the first teamer departed the London Stadium because of his “quality.”
“He’s a quality player and he scores so many goals for West Ham, so it would be a huge loss if he did go,” Given told talkSPORT.
"It would be a huge loss."
🗣️ @No1ShayGiven says #WHUFC would be losing a "quality" player if Arnautović is sold.
How highly do you rate Arnautović? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Z0ACbzrq0O
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 10, 2019
OPINION
Given is right – just imagine how the West Ham fans would react if the club did end up losing Arnautovic? This is not the first time this season where he has been linked with a move away from the club, and this certainly will not be the last if he continues to maintain the excellent form he has demonstrated this season. Without his goals, the Hammers certainly would not be where they are now in the table – after all, it is not like they can rely on the likes of Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll to deliver the goods when they need it most. The Irons are incredibly fortunate to still have a player like Arnautovic on the books, and they will no doubt be counting their lucky stars if they manage to keep him until the end of the season. There is no doubt that there will be more offers for his services, whether it will be in this transfer window or in the summer – so West Ham face a tough job in keeping him on the books – and whether he will remain loyal to the club and its fans.
