Hammers ditched “disruptive” menace for £22m, now he’s worth £4m
West Ham United have seen a host of talent over the years, with some stars less likeable off the pitch than others.
West Ham United have had a searing start to the 2023/24 campaign, after David Moyes’ side struggled in the Premier League last term.
The Scotsman came under intense scrutiny throughout the season, however all criticism was put to bed when he delivered the Hammers their first European trophy since the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965.
After sanctioning the sale of captain Declan Rice in the summer, Moyes received £105m to spend in the market, something he did expertly to capture quality reinforcements to take his squad away from the anxieties of another relegation battle.
Sitting in 7th in the table with four wins from their opening seven Premier League fixtures, the Irons are poised to have a much-improved campaign to that of last term as their new arrivals continue to flourish.
As many associated with the club know all too well, the transfer window has not always been a time to relish for West Ham, with the club hiring and offloading a host of below-par talents over the years in the Premier League era.
One player signed by Slaven Bilic was far from a poor performer for the east Londoners, but more of an ill-mannered individual that tarnished his on-pitch success, seeing him desperately sold just two years after his arrival.
How much did West Ham sign Marko Arnautovic for?
Captured from Stoke City in 2017, Bilic secured the signature of Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic in a deal worth £20m.
The commanding forward arrived with a strong reputation having already scored 22 Premier League goals while representing the Potters, with him described as a player with “plenty of quality” by chairman David Sullivan at the time.
At the point of his arrival, Arnautovic became one of the club’s highest-paid players, earning £100k-per-week, just £15k short of the Irons’ top earner Joe Hart who was also signed that summer.
How many goals did Marko Arnautovic score?
It didn’t take long for the former Inter Milan ace to impose himself in east London, as he netted 11 goals and registered six assists in his debut Premier League campaign, registering himself as the club’s top-scorer of the 2017/18 season.
Usual service resumed the following term, as he scored 10 league goals and once again had his name marked as the top talisman in the Hammers’ ranks.
The 110-capped Austria international received an abundance of praise for his goal scoring prowess at West Ham, with the Telegraph’s Jason Burt going as far as saying that “few players can match Arnautovic for skill and power”.
It was fair praise for the striker, who in his final season at the London Stadium was statistically comparable to the likes of Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah, reinforcing the standard he was performing at in the capital.
From West Ham’s most reliable scorer to a disgraced wantaway in a matter of months, it all went very wrong for Arnautovic very quickly at West Ham.
What happened to Marko Arnautovic?
In January 2019, the Austrian was tempted with a lucrative move to China with Shanghai SIPG and Guangzhou Evergrande linked as the interested parties wanting the striker.
As relayed by Sky Sports at the time, West Ham were opening to sanction a move for the forward on the basis that they received a bid worth £50m for his services.
It was expected that the former Stoke star would depart, as he appeared to wave goodbye to fans after being substituted during a match amid the speculation, however that was far from the outcome at the end of the winter window.
Days later, it was announced that Arnautovic had signed an improved contract in east London, with the club creating a theatrical announcement of his renewal with the striker telling fans he was “happy to stay”.
The Champions League winner continued to represent the Hammers for the remainder of the campaign, before the cracks began to show once again in the summer, and this time, a move was sanctioned.
Described as a “disrespectful” and “disruptive” figure by former West Ham women’s star Claire Rafferty, via talkSPORT, the Irons cut ties with the money-hungry figure in the summer window.
Sold for £22m, the Hammers ran with the fee received for the menace, with sources close to the club telling Sky Sports that the Hammers were willing to accept a “terrible deal” just to ensure he would leave the club.
The 30-year-old was shipped off into the sunset to China, signing with Shanghai SIPG, before returning to Europe two years later.
Where is Marko Arnautovic now?
After making just 39 appearances in two years for Shanghai SIPG, since renamed Shanghai Port, Arnautovic returned to Europe to sign for Italian side Bologna.
The veteran marksman admitted to the press that he “underestimated” the demands of the Chinese Super League, as his personal standards dropped, seeing him train less, eat worse and sleep in a disrupted pattern, via BeanymanSports.
The subtle talk of defeat in China was music to the ears of West Ham fans, who had seen their club treated as a stepping stool for the Austrian to form a gateway to a more lucrative life in Asia.
Since arriving back in Europe, the forward has reinstated himself as a competent figure in the final third, scoring 24 Serie A goals in 54 appearances for Bologna, before endeavouring on loan to his former club Inter Milan this summer.
From being a highly-respected force in the Premier League to facing the consequences of leaving Europe for financial gain, the 34-year-old is lucky to have rediscovered sanctuary in Italy.
What is Marko Arnautovic’s market value now?
Despite his reliable scoring sequences in Serie A, the former Hammers villain has seen his market value decrease dramatically with it now sitting around just €5m (£4m).
West Ham struck gold in offloading the striker, who despite being crowned their top-scorer for two consecutive seasons, caused more damage than good during the latter stages of his time in the capital.
When reviewing the highs that the Hammers have hit since his exit, and the encouraging path to improvement that they are currently on, eliminating toxic want-aways in favour of ambitious talent has worked swimmingly.
Arnautovic could’ve had it all at West Ham, however, the trouble-making forward granted the club a favour in pushing for a move in a transaction that granted the Irons peace from his menacing behaviour in the squad.
