Claret and Hugh Exclusive by Sean Whetstone and Hugh Southon
Reports that West Ham have accepted a £45m bid for Marko Arnautovic have been dismissed by senior club insiders who have revealed the only bid on the table is the one originally received.
That was from Guangzhou Evergrande who have offered €40 million and who, according to CandH sources are refusing to budge from that.
Graeme Baily writing in the Gambling Times claimed that West Ham had agreed a deal worth £45million for Marko Arnautovic with Shanghai SIPG – but the transfer has stalled.
And he added: “Issues have arisen as West Ham have a problem with a number of things including agents fees, whilst the move is also complicated by the fact Stoke City are owed a percentage of the deal. The deal has now hit the rocks, and as it stands is not going ahead. But Arnautovic himself is far from pleased that the move has hit an impasse with personal terms of over £220,00-a-week all but agreed.”
A senior club insider speaking via E-Mail to us confirmed the €40m (£35m) offer but said Guangzhou Evergrande will offer no more.
Stoke would receive £3m as part of a 20% sell on clause and a a further 5% (£1.75m) is paid as a solidarity fee to the Premier League towards helping lower division football.
FIFA rules state that if a transfer occurs between different jurisdictions when a player is in contract, 5% of the transfer fee is distributed pro rata to all clubs involved in his training since the season of his 12th birthday.
The current deal means the Hammers would net around £30m which is £10m more than they paid for him.
If Guangzhou were offering £35.2 million for Arnie, plus £280 grand a week that’s fourteen million five hundred and sixty thousand pounds a year wages for a player in the last few years of his career as a footballer. And after we asked for more money they have pulled out and decided against signing him. You can see why Arnies head wasn’t right for the Bournemouth game.
This is now the worst outcome. We get no dosh but the player sulks. I just have a feeling he might be big enough to eventually shrug his shoulders & buckle down. The opinion of his teammates & maybe the fans seem quite important to him. Many thanks to Guangzhou- hope we can do you a favour some time.