Sixty per cent of West Ham supporters think the club were wrong to give Marko Arnautovic a contract extension and pay rise while forty per cent think it was the right thing to do in the difficult circumstances.

In a Claret and Hugh poll of 1,529 readers, 611 (40%) said the club were right to give him a new deal while 918 (60%) disagreed with club’s decision.

Yesterday Manuel Pellegrini refused to speak about Arnie’s long term future at the club when asked yesterday, telling reporters: “We can talk at the end of the season about that, now our mind must be concentrated on Wolverhampton. “

Arnautovic’s new deal is thought to extend his contract to June 2023 in return for improved financial terms. It is also thought to include a release clause for £45m by a specified date in the 2019 Summer transfer window.

Club insiders believe the time for talking to the fans is over and that Arnautovic must now let his actions on the pitch do his speaking for him starting with tonight.