OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini has met every challenge so far as West Ham boss, with the Chilean overseeing some noticeable improvements at the London Stadium.
The Hammers are playing some really nice football at the moment, although results are still inconsistent, and there is a real air of positivity surrounding the club.
However, as with all transfer windows, this month has thrown up a huge problem for Pellegrini and West Ham, with star striker Marko Arnautovic linked heavily with a lucrative move to China.
Obviously it is hard to say exactly what has been happening behind the scenes, but it has been clear for all to see that the 29-year-old is keen on such a move, which would see him triple his wages to around £300,000-a-week.
However, with West Ham refusing to be bullied into submission, it now looks as though Arnautovic is set for disappointment after a fresh definitive update from Sky Sports, which suggests he is set to remain in place this month.
BREAKING: Marko Arnautovic expected to stay at @WestHamUtd and has never been for sale. #SSN pic.twitter.com/BzYAPz4GWz
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 20, 2019
When the initial stories broke about a potential move to China, it was reported from behind the scenes that Arnautovic was acting as a model professional.
However, his omission from the squad in their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth this weekend suggested that all is not right, with Pellegrini confirming the reasons behind his decision.
“A manager must choose the players that work better during the week. Marko has his head on another issue so it wasn’t a good idea for him to play,” he said, as quoted by BBC Sport.
It is clear that talk of a potential move has affected Arnautovic, so the collapse of his transfer to China will no doubt have hit him hard.
It is Pellegrini who will now have to pick up the pieces, and this will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge of his career in east London so far.
He will firstly have to get Arnautovic back on side and back in form, with his goals crucial to their hopes, but he will also have to make sure the rest of the squad welcomes the 29-year-old back like nothing ever happened.
Furthermore, Arnautovic’s relationship with some fans will have been badly affected by his actions, and Pellegrini must also try and fix that in the coming weeks.
All in all this is a huge challenge for the Chilean, and the way in which he goes about facing it could well define the Hammers’ season.
