West Ham are ready to sell wantaway forward Marko Arnautovic for £45million and break their club record transfer fee to sign Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez as a replacement.
Arnautovic, 29, has been axed from the squad for the FA Cup fourth-round trip to Wimbledon on Saturday night as he chases his lucrative transfer to China.
Gomez, the 22-year-old who has scored nine goals in La Liga this season, has a £43.3m release clause which would eclipse the £36m paid for Felipe Anderson.
Arnautovic, who was also dropped for last weekend’s Premier League game against Bournemouth because of concerns over his frame of mind, wrote on Instagram on Friday night: ‘News very soon…’
It is understood no £45m bid has come in for Arnautovic but insiders are confident a deal can be struck to sell the Austrian, likely to Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande.
Shanghai SIPG have also been heavily linked.
Arnautovic has been training this week and Pellegrini had claimed he was working well. There is understood to have been a breakdown in trust between the two, however.
continuebe
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Good riddance to a bad penny. Nice profit though.
Eddiegaddis
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China said no, so don't hold your breath.
olamaso
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Good luck getting £45mill. Injury prone. 29 years old.
teardrop
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And they have to pay 90% tax on that paying him 400k a week where the fair play rule in China funny money
CELTICS05
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The only reason that I can think of any professional footballer wanting to leave the Premier League to go to China is money.
irony
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Proven and hungry 22 year old versus a 29 year old moody gambler... no contest
acteman
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Any club that takes this mercenary on, will be getting a very talented footballer and a huge dressing room problem. Buyer beware.
poniard
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It may be difficult to find a club outside China willing to pay 45 mill. for Arnautovic and also offer wages that will satisfy both Arnautovic and his bookmakers. It may be even more difficult to get rid of Carroll unless Newcastle will take him on a free transfer.
Turkeys
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45 million. Sullivans gone mad. Nobody will take this crazy.
COYI
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Says he is committed to West Ham and want us up the table and to do well in the FA Cup
COYI
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Just read Marko will not leave west ham in january