Football news - Marko Arnautovic agitates for West Ham exit: 'I want to play with the best'

Published 14/11/2018 at 11:20 GMT

Marko Arnautovic has hinted he is ready to leave West Ham in pursuit of Champions League football – with his brother and agent raising the prospect of a transfer sooner rather than later.

Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United looks on during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Burnley

Image credit: Getty Images

Arnautovic has been a big hit since joining West Ham from Stoke for £24m in July 2017, scoring 16 goals in 38 league games for the Hammers despite the club’s struggles on the pitch.

And now the striker, who has not played in the Champions League since the 2010-11 season at Werder Bremen, says he is ready to step up a level.

“I’m 29, so that’s the best age,” he told the Austrian newspaper Kurier. “It’s clear that I want to compete with the best players. But in this affair I totally trust my brother.”

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Danijel Arnautovic represents the Austria international and his comments make it quite clear that the brothers do not feel West Ham offer a sufficient platform at this stage of Marko’s career.

“He’s already playing in the Premier League and that’s where the best players are. But for a player like Marko this cannot be the end,” said Danijel Arnautovic.

He’s a big part of West Ham’s team but I think it’s possible to tease out more of him. For that to happen, he has to play for a top team. Marko is ready for the next step. A player like him should not play against relegation. He should play for the international spots. Marko is really enjoying playing for West Ham. He loves that club and the fans. But there is still that feeling, that this cannot be the end. And everybody should understand that.

Arnautovic was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer and Danijel says his brother could be on the move very soon.

“That’s possible,” he said. “It was already very, very close this last summer.”

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