Arnautovic set for medical as West Ham cap off perfect week

Arnautovic set for medical as West Ham cap off perfect week

At the start of the week, many West Ham fans on social media were angry with their side’s failure to complete business in the transfer window as their only major addition was the capture of veteran full-back Pablo Zabaleta on a free transfer from Manchester City.

Fans that were patient have been rewarded in the days since though as the Hammers sealed the arrival of England international Joe Hart on-loan from the Citizens and confirmed yesterday a deal has been reached with Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for the services of Javier Hernandez.

The Mexican striker will be a significant upgrade on West Ham’s current attacking options and has a reputation in the Premier League for being extremely reliable in front of goal, establishing himself as a super-sub during his stint at Manchester United- though he struggled to force his way into the line-up on a regular basis.

He’ll get the regular opportunities he previously missed at Old Trafford during his stint at West Ham though and the side being developed around him looks very strong, with Sky Sports stating this morning that Marko Arnautovic is set for a medical with the Hammers ahead of a club-record move from Stoke.



The Austrian ace will likely slot into the left-side of West Ham’s attack, filling the void left by Dimitri Payet’s exit in January, and a midfield trident completed by Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio will provide plenty of support for Javier Hernandez.

Rather than their scattergun approach to the transfer window last summer, West Ham have been more composed in the transfer market this time around and have ensured each of their arrivals are a significant upgrade on their current options.

It leaves the Hammers with not just a strong first-team squad but as a side that boasts some depth too, which will be significant as the season progresses and when Slaven Bilic’s side must split their focus across numerous competitions.

West Ham’s move to the London Stadium last summer saw the board and the club set lofty ambitions for the coming years and the newly assembled side should have the ability to push for European football, as well as advancing to the latter stages of domestic cups- which could potentially provide an alternative route to European involvement and success.