Former West Ham manager David Moyes believes club talisman Marko Arnautovic has all the capabilities of playing for a top-four Premier League side amid intense Manchester United interest.
Moyes, 55, left the Hammers at the end of last season but will be remembered in east London as the man responsible for converting Arnautovic from winger to striker, where the Austrian has since flourished.
How likely is Marko Arnautovic’s potential Man Utd transfer move? Five key things to know
- Arnautovic’s 2017/18 form prompted rumours of a summer switch to Old Trafford and speculation has resurfaced, though the club are unlikely to move in January.
- Arnautovic rubbished the reports on social media despite his agent opening the door on a West Ham exit, stating “Marko is ready for the next step.”
- Manuel Pellegrini has told Arnautovic – whose contract expires in 2022 – to ignore the rumours, while he also challenging him to improve before considering a dream big move in September.
- Jose Mourinho has previously worked with Arnautovic at Inter Milan.
- Arnautovic has created the fourth-most Premier League chances of any striker this season (16); Paul Pogba (18) the only Man Utd player with more.
Arnautovic was the fulcrum of West Ham’s survival success last season, scoring 11 goals as well as clinching the club’s ‘Hammer of the Year’ award as a result.
The 29-year-old has been a revelation since reinventing himself as a centre-forward, a move credited to Moyes, who took the helm in east London following the sacking of Slaven Bilic last term.
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
Moyes has since been replaced by Manuel Pellegrini after guiding the club to safety, but he insists it remains fundamental that the club keep hold of Arnautovic, who he believes has the capacity to play for Manchester United.
Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, Moyes said: “Marko is really important to West Ham. They need him.
“He can play for a top-four club, he’s good enough.
“He’s got the ability. He can play with the top players and considers himself a top player – you’ve got to remember he’s already been at the likes of Inter Milan before.
“But where do you get that level of striker or forward player now? They’re really hard to find.
“Marko’s change from a winger to a centre-forward has really reinvented him.
“When we arrived at West Ham the punters weren’t having him, and to be fair if you had watched him a lot at Stoke you’d have questioned him.
“But the minute he moved to centre-forward he was a revelation. He changed completely. He can score, he’s powerful, he’s quick, he’s got energy.
“That was always the thing questioned about Marko – did he run, what was his attitude like – but we found him great to work with.
“There was a period last season where he was making more sprints in the Premier League than any other player.”
Moyes has previously likened Arnautovic to Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who took the Premier League by storm with Manchester United during the 2016/17 season.
And with the Red Devils struggling for form and consistency in the Premier League this term, having found the back of the net just 20 times – two fewer than Bournemouth and exactly half of Man City’s tally – Arnautovic would certainly add some much-needed bite to the squad.
Who are the winners and losers if Man Utd do sign Arnautovic next summer?
Winner: Jose Mourinho
Mourinho has previously called Arnautovic ‘a fantastic person with the attitude of a child’, having worked with the Austrian during his tenure at the San Siro.
While this certainly sounds like a damning indictment of Arnautovic’s credentials, he has matured immensely since his Inter days. Moyes even stated that he enjoyed a “great” working relationship with the West Ham star.
Should Arnautovic relocate to North West England, then he will have something to prove to his former manager. However, it is perhaps his rough-around-the-edges approach that Mourinho is looking for; he would certainly bring some real attitude to a Man Utd squad seemingly lacking confidence.
Marko Arnautovic in the league for Stoke since 2013/14:
Most take-ons (200)
Most chances created (189)
Most assists (23)Major influence. pic.twitter.com/YQ0nSWYS58
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 21, 2017
With big personalities in both corners, the potential reunion of Arnautovic and Mourinho could go one of two ways. But with the former seeming to have put his ‘bad boy’ image behind him, and the latter in dire need of leaders in his dressing room, this could be a match-made-in-heaven.
Loser: Marcus Rashford
Rashford has started just five Premier League matches this season, scoring two goals and registering just one assist, so the arrival of a big-money signing will only further hinder the England international’s chances of cementing a starting berth at Old Trafford.
There are already significant blockades in terms of a route to first-team action for the 21-year-old, so this move will only push him further down the pecking order.
Rashford has struggled for consistency since Mourinho took the helm, and the Portuguese tactician even questioned the maturity of players like Rashford in recent days – should Arnautovic sign, this would seriously leave his future in jeopardy.
Winner: Juventus
Juventus are reportedly keeping tabs on Rashford’s situation at Old Trafford with Massimiliano Allegri eager to bolster his attacking armoury. Arnautovic’s arrival could potentially see that transfer come to fruition.
Rashford will see his present deal expire in 2020, though the forward has the option of extending his stay for a further year.
Allegri was given a first-hand viewing of the 21-year-old in Turin earlier this month as the Red Devils beat the Old Lady 2-1 in the Champions League; Rashford was given a 20-minute cameo but injected fresh impetus upon his arrival on the pitch.
The Italian coach would have been impressed with the energy and verve that the England forward brought to the pitch. Should the Old Lady pounce for Rashford, then he will add some real pace and venom to an attack already replete with world-class talent.
Loser: Man Utd academy
The Class of ’92 is still talked about fondly on the terraces of Old Trafford, with the Red Devils rightly proud of their esteemed academy, which has seen some of the finest players make the grade over the years. Should Rashford part company with the club, however, it would serve as a significant slap in the face for academy players.
The club were famously left red-faced when Paul Pogba left as a free agent for Juve – though there were reports of attitude problems behind the scenes – where he went on to flourish in Turin before making a then-world transfer back to Old Trafford for £90m in 2016.
Should Rashford also leave the 13-time Premier League champions in search of first-team opportunities with Juve, then it will bring back unwanted memories of the Pogba fiasco. Furthermore, as one of the brightest players to hail from the club’s academy in recent years, it will only send a negative message to up-and-coming starlets.
Man Utd must keep hold of their homegrown talent if only to show aspiring future stars that first-team opportunities are vast for young players. Arnautovic’s possible arrival would achieve the opposite.
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