West Ham talisman Marko Arnautovic is purring at the possibility of lining up alongside the club’s new recruits this season.
The fortunes of the east London club have dramatically shifted since the infamous fan protests during the Burnley match last season, and there is now unexpected optimism at the London Stadium.
Newly-appointed manager Manuel Pellegrini has been given funds to play around with this summer, and with the purse strings loosened, the Chilean tactician has secured the services of seven fresh faces -including the £36m acquisition of Felipe Anderson from Lazio.
One man who looked destined for the exit door this summer was Arnautovic – who enjoyed a sensational maiden campaign with the Hammers – as Manchester United ramped up their interest in the forward.
However, the 29-year-old looks set to stay with West Ham after the club significantly bolstered their armoury this window, and the Austrian is now teeming with excitement towards the club’s transfer activity.
“Obviously, we have made some very good signings and they are just here in their first week and have been here for a few days,” Arnautovic told the club’s official website.
“We know a lot about Jack Wilshere and what he has done all these years in the Premier League. Fredericks and Diop are new faces for me. I didn’t know them before but I can see in the training that they have some quality, otherwise they would not be here.
“For the other ones, everyone knew Andriy Yarmolenko and what he has done in the Ukraine. The league is not such a high challenge, but he played in the Champions League many games and he showed his quality against big teams.
“The other two guys, I’ve heard very good things about this Balbuena who came from Brazil. He was the player of the season in whole league. And Felipe Anderson, those players who played in Italy know what he is capable of and what quality he has. We paid big money for him and obviously we know he can do good stuff in front.
“It’s now the time for those players who have come here to show what they can do.”
Arnautovic in east London
When West Ham decided to make the former Inter Milan forward the club’s record transfer, there were mixed emotions among the Hammers’ faithful, and those quickly became more prominent after he was sent off in only his second match for the club.
However, since that game against Southampton, Arnautovic went on to enjoy a stellar debut season with the club, clinching the ‘Hammer of the Year’ award at the end of the campaign.
Marko Arnautović is the first West Ham player to score 11 Premier League goals in a single season since Bobby Zamora in 2006/07.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 30, 2018
After reinventing himself as a central forward, the Austrian would go on to net 11 goals for the club, becoming the first West Ham player in over a decade to reach that goalscoring feat in the Premier League.
The former Stoke forward would also take on the most shots with 71, register the joint second-most assists with six, and create the joint second-most chances with 34.
The post Arnautovic excited by West Ham transfer business appeared first on Squawka News.
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