OPINION
West Ham attacker Marko Arnautovic’s history suggest he might be potentially set to throw his toys out of the pram in order to get the exit his agent believes he wishes for.
The forward’s brother and agent Danijel told talkSPORT on Thursday that the key Hammers player wanted the club to accept the bid they had received but rejected, according to the Mirror, from an unspecified Chinese club so he could move on.
“He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles. This is what he wants,” said the agent, as quoted by the radio station’s official website.
“It is his great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China.”
Even though the Hammers responded via their official Twitter account to make it clear Arnautovic was going no where as he wasn’t for sale, that doesn’t mean the player won’t become a problem in order to force their hand.
In response to the statement from the brother and agent of Marko Arnautovic this afternoon, the Club has issued the following: pic.twitter.com/6A2p3glFhg
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 10, 2019
Arnautovic previously handed in a transfer request to Stoke City in 2017, as stated by Sky Sports, in order to force a move through when several clubs were circling.
This was the negative action he opted to take despite then manager Mark Hughes wanting to do all he could to keep him, and a source in the broadcaster article even suggested that his head had been turned.
Given that Arnautovic ensured he got his move, he joined the Hammers, there’s no suggesting that he won’t do the same to get another exit now based on his agents comments.
Jose Mourinho once described the forward as a “child” after managing him at Inter Milan, as cited by Manchester Evening News, and Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn even directly stated in December 2018 that the player could throw his toys out of the pram when Man United were believed to be circling him.
“The player could throw his toys out the pram, and refuse to play, which can be frustrating for the supporters,” said the Gunners legend, as quoted by the Daily Star.
These two comments are a reflection of the fact Arnautovic comes across as the type player who’d kick up a fuss to get his own way as he has been known to look sulky, for example just look at the fact he appeared to have a strop at being subbed by Manuel Pellegrini in the recent win over Birmingham City.
However while the forward may throw his toys out the pram, it hands major boost to Andy Carroll’s chance of getting opportunities in order to earn himself a new contract.
The 30-year-old’s £90,000-a-week deal (Source: Spotrac) is set to expire at the end of the current season and his publicly stated wants a “new deal”, as quoted by Sky Sports, but it depends on him making the most of his chances to feature.
This means that if Arnautovic stays and plays up or if gets his desired move either way it will lead to more golden chances for Carroll to prove his worth and be the hero, which in turn would be a major boost in his desire to extend his stay at the London Stadium.
