The Marko Arnautovic deal... the fan's view.

On the 22nd of July 2017, Marko Artnautovic left Stoke City and joined fellow Premier League club West Ham United for a club-record fee of £24 million, signing a five year contract. The saga surrounding Arnie's departure from Stoke, and his resulting recruitment to West Ham's ranks, has been a fascinating one not least as Stoke have lost one of, if not their most, key player whilst the Hammers may have replaced their former star man Dimitri Payet, whose departure in January was a hot topic in the footballing community. To get more insight on the issue, I have enlisted fans of either club to give their view on the deal, on the West Ham side is Ed Jones and on the Stoke City side is George Lovatt (who previously wrote on the 2016 PDC Darts World Championship), both of whom will now weigh in on Arnie's big money move. Enjoy!

My Thoughts On The Arnautovic Deal-Ed Jones (West Ham Supporter):

New Signing...

"After last year’s abysmal transfer window, it is no surprise that as a West Ham fan, I am slightly sceptical about this deal. With the fee being reported at £24 million, Arnie joins the likes of Andre Ayew, Andy Carroll, Matt Jarvis and Kieron Dyer as West Ham’s record signings (no pressure Marko).  At such a high fee I can’t help but see Arnautovic’s weaknesses in abundance. For example, his attitude has been criticised in the past, during the 2009-2010 Arnie was on loan at Inter, who had an option to buy permanently at the end of the season. However Inter decided against this with Jose Mourinho saying: “Arnautovic is a fantastic person but has the attitude of a child.” As a result Marko signed for Werder Bremen and even before he had played a match, German legend Torsten Frings and then Bremen captain branded him as “arrogant.” Furthermore, towards the end of his Bremen career Arnautovic and then team-mate Eljero Elia were both caught speeding and consequently suspended by the club. During his time in Italy and Germany, he was view by the media as “the bad boy of Austrian football” and it was also widely publicised recently that he told Mark Hughes that he wouldn’t play for the club again in an attempt to force through the move (though this is only a rumour). Such an attitude could have a harmful effect on dressing room morale which could hurt the performance of the team on the pitch. For example, Dimitri Payet similarly had a poor attitude at the beginning of last season, perhaps one of the reasons for West Ham’s poor form. Although on the other hand, speaking on his own attitude Arnie admits that he is “not an angel” but also insists that the birth of his daughter has made him grow up and it must be said that whilst at Stoke, he has rarely been involved in any off the field antics, so perhaps his attitude is no longer an issue.

Whilst we can cast some doubt on his attitude, I am fairly confident about his ability. He has arguably been Stoke’s strongest performer over the last two seasons (even out performing Xerdan Shaqiri and Glen Whelan), popping up with some vital goals in victories over Chelsea and Manchester City. Arnautovic offers West Ham’s attack some much needed creativity and can play anywhere in the attack. Since taking over Bilic has often opted to play a 4-2-3-1 and I would imagine Arnie will slot in on the left, where he featured most at Stoke, with Lanzini in a central attacking role and Michail Antonio on the right. At 6 ft 3 inches tall, Arnie is certainly a physical presence and is blessed with quick feet and an eye for goal. But perhaps most importantly, he is a player proven in the Premier League, unlike Simone Zaza, Gokhan Tore and Havard Nortdveit, who all joined last year and failed to perform. After last year’s fiasco, West Ham’s board have made it clear they are only looking to sign players with Premier League experience, as shown by the additions of Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez and with 45 goals and assists (combined) in 125 Premier League games, Arnautovic certainly fits the bill. Whilst £24 million is a lot of money, this is simply what Premier League proven players cost these days. This is the same window where Kyle Walker cost Manchester City £50 million and Gylfi Sigurdsson is supposedly worth £45 million, so the £24 million paid for Arnautovic seems about as fair as one could hope for.

So despite the scepticism, common in all football fans over a new record signing, I think this a really good signing for West Ham, not least as they have weakened a rival whilst bolstering their own attack. I can see him linking up well with Lanzini and new signing Chicharito. Already this transfer window looks far superior to last year’s for West Ham, and as a Hammer I can only look forward to the kick-off in August." 

"And So Begins Life After Marko."- George Lovatt (Stoke City Supporter):

"And so begins life after Marko. Marko Arnautovic joined Stoke City in 2013 as a talented maverick, clearly a skilled player but inconsistent and marred by his off the field antics. However, by his third year at Stoke, he had developed into a genuine team player, still with the talent but also now with the considerable work ethic and drive to get better. In the 2015-16 he scored 11 goals in the Premier League, a drastic improvement on the solitary goal he scored the season before, and last season he managed to tally up 6 more strikes. However, the next chapter of Marko Arnautovic’s Stoke City career will remain unwritten, due to his £24 million move to West Ham United.

From my perspective, the departure of Marko Arnautovic has represented the worse of modern football in every aspect and his manner of departure has certainly left a sour taste in the mouth. In the Premier League, there is a lot of talk of monetary investment, the millions of pounds pumped into every club across the league; however there is a far more important type of investment that happens in football, it is the emotional investment that every fan gives to the players on the pitch. It is meant to be trust between player and fan, the fans trust the players to give their all for the club and the players trust the fans to support them in every moment good and bad. In this time, a connection is built between fan and player, they will never meet but for the fan they feel love to the player and the relationship between the Stoke City fans and Marko Arnautovic was no different.

It was believed that Arnie along with Xherdan Shaqiri and other big names could bring the good times to Stoke City football club, to bring European football or a trip to Wembley, something to remember. In the recent weeks and days, that connection between fan and Arnautovic, the memories he brought on the pitch have been severed. Marko Arnautovic’s career was going nowhere when he signed for Stoke, valued at just £2 million by Werder Bremen and described by Jose Mourinho as being impossible to manage. Whilst at Stoke due to the work and affection of Mark Hughes and the Stoke City fans as well as his own endeavour, Arnautovic became the focal point of the Stoke City attack and scored against the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea in just one season. However, during the move away from the club, Arnautovic has shown no gratitude for the support of the fans and the risk taken by the management and the owner. His comments about his love the for the fans and the connection with his fellow professionals, most notably Ramadan Sobhi who he described as being as a ‘little brother’ to him and about how much he loved playing with the current crop of players now appear to be nothing more than empty platitudes. All the great moments that he brought to Stoke are now ruined due to the fact that he demanded a transfer request demanding to leave, moving primarily for the money to a club which is effectively at the same level as Stoke. If he was taking a genuine step forward in his career to a genuine top six club then it would be acceptable, football players have a short career and therefore want to achieve as much as they can in the playing time they have. However, this move to West Ham, a club who have not beaten Stoke City in nearly half a decade, is merely a sideways step to earn a few more bucks. His literal two finger salute to the Stoke City fans, as it has been interpreted by some in a Snapchat, has brought about significant upset for those who invested so much in supporting Marko during his Stoke career. Marko Arnautovic’s classless move has once again confirmed that although the fans remain loyal, the players are largely mercenaries, treating each club like an ordinary organisation and are merely seeking to maximise their own pockets.

The £24 million figure also brings about some disappointment. In a transfer window in which Michael Keane, a centre-back with just two seasons worth of Premier League experience has gone for £30 million, Jordan Pickford who got relegated was worth £25 million, and Kyle Walker, a right back, went for £50 million. In this crazy world of football we live in, £24 million just does not feel like enough money for a player who was our main attacking threat and arguably our best and most important player. To lose him for that value feels unnecessary especially with 3 years left on his contract. I highly doubt that Stoke will sign a player of his quality, who has Premier League experience in this transfer window, especially when Stoke have been linked with virtually no attacking players.

So, what does this departure mean for Stoke? Well the picture is pretty bleak. Two stalwarts and genuine club legends in Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan have moved on for measly figures in comparison to the effort they put in and their value to the clubs fortunes. As already stated Marko Arnautovic has gone and it also appears Giannelli Imbula is also on the way out. The futures of club favourites Bojan and Marc Muniesia appear uncertain as well. The only signings that have been made are Darren Fletcher on a free from West Bromwich Albion, Josh Tymon from Hull City and Kurt Zouma on loan from Chelsea (who should hopefully sure up the defence). With a marquee signing looking unlikely, Mark Hughes will have to make best with the inconsistent talents he has at the moment. For me the most important player for Stoke will be Ramadan Sobhi, as he has showed glimpses of remarkable skill and talent, and Stoke fans (myself included) will hope that he can really kick on and get the playing time he deserves and not just be another Brek Shea. The future is uncertain, but whatever happens the club, and the fans who adore it, will go on. Marko Arnautovic had the chance to represent Stoke City and the city itself, to lead them to glory and to never be forgotten if success had come, the affection of the people of Stoke-on-Trent is worth more than the extra pennies he will be earning in West Ham, so enjoy your money Marko as Stoke City will always be bigger than any player."

Bidding Farewell...

So there we have it, the view from two men either side of the coin of what will surely prove to be an intriguing deal when the Premier League kicks off again next month. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and seeing contributions from two other writers, both of whom I thank for their efforts. As always feel free to leave suggestions for new posts, and keep your eyes peeled for new articles in the near future.

Thanks for reading, 

James

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