Stoke City will receive 10% of any profit West Ham make on the sale of Marko Arnautovic, according to reliable source Claret & Hugh.
The Austrian has been heavily linked with a move to China in recent times, with The Sun going as far as to suggest that he could complete a move to the Far East by the end of the week.
If the 29-year-old does leave the club, it is understood that the Hammers will have to pay a percentage of his fee to former club, Stoke.
Initially, it was believed that this amounted to 10% of the total transfer fee, but an source close to the Potters confirmed to Claret & Hugh that it would actually be 10% of any amount over the £21 million the Hammers paid for Arnautovic’s services.
OPINION
It’s probably not the Arnautovic transfer news West Ham fans were hoping for, but at least it’s a little bit of silver lining for the club, who will not lose out on as much if the Austrian does move to China. That’s beginning to look more and more like an inevitability, and the Hammers must be preparing themselves for the worst at this stage. At least the Irons will have more money to spend on a replacement this way, and in the January window, when clubs are reluctant to sell and prices are naturally jacked up, an extra couple of million could be the difference between landing the ideal man to fill the void that will inevitably be left. If they get their recruitment right, and that is a big if, losing the Austrian, with his advancing years and wantaway attitude, could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
