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The £35m bid from China for Marko Arnautovic was instantly rejected by West Ham, and it is of little surprise.
Sources at the time claimed that the offer was “derisory”, and that is being remarkably kind; the offer is so low, in such an inflated transfer market, that it should be regarded as a slap in the face.
What’s the word?
The offer from China arrived as something of a surprise, with there having been no previous indication of interest from the Far East.
Arnautovic’s agent, who is also his brother, has previously touted the possibility of his sibling joining an elite club, with Manchester United reportedly interested while Jose Mourinho was in charge.
There would at least be logic to that, to Arnautovic making a step up instead of a massive step down.
As it stands, Arnautovic is 29 and is enjoying the form of his life, scoring eight goals in 17 games in all competitions. He remains a key part of Austria’s international set-up, too, winning almost 80 caps.
Valuing him at £35m, then, is frankly ridiculous.
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Callum Hudson-Odoi, a talented Chelsea youngster who has made just one Premier League appearance, has also been the subject of a £35m offer, from Bayern Munich, per reports from Sky Sports News.
West Ham are not foolish, and they are well aware of the value that their prized asset holds.
Sources have admitted, naturally, that there is a price at which West Ham would be forced into a sale, but it is significantly higher than the £35m currently on the table.
And they are keen to avoid a repeat of the Dimitri Payet situation, with the French playmaker asking to leave the club in January of 2017 after a significant bid from Marseille.
There were extenuating circumstances then, but it is understood that the Hammers have communicated to Arnautovic that they do not wish to sell him at all in January, and it does not yet appear that the Austrian will kick up a stink.
Extracting the maximum possible amount
There is, of course, a flip side to this story.
With Arnautovic at the age of 29, and with his value peaking, there is a suspicion that the club would do business in the summer if an interested party were to match their asking price.
A move to China, though, does not appear to work for anybody.
While a lump of cash would appear in Arnautovic’s bank account every week, he would be turning his back on his top-flight career, and potentially his international career too.
Plus, West Ham would be left scrambling to find a replacement, and it has been made abundantly clear by similar transfers that a figure of £35m will not be enough to find a player capable of matching Arnautovic’s contributions.
A major bid from an elite club would be something different; had Real Madrid or Manchester United made the £35m bid, the Hammers would be hitting the panic button, aware that Arnautovic would likely push for a move, and that there is no ceiling to potential further offers.
There is a suspicion that this offer will not lead to a second one, though. West Ham have been firm and forthright in their rejection of the bid, and hope this will be the end of it.
Indeed, after being slapped in the face once, few would want to be hit a second time.