West Ham are increasingly reluctant to let Marko Arnautovic leave this month.
The Hammers know this transfer window is a difficult time to find a good replacement and Shanghai SIPG will have to significantly increase their £35million bid to land the Austrian.
Boss Manuel Pellegrini will have the final say over Arnautovic’s future and the club will demand up to £50m for the 29-year-old.
West Ham have identified Celta Vigo forward Maxi Gomez as a potential replacement.
Gomez has scored nine goals in La Liga this season and Pellegrini together with director of football Mario Husillos has been keeping tabs on him since last summer.
Celta are just two points above the relegation zone but Gomez has impressed enough to have a rumoured £45m buy-out clause in his contract, which West Ham would be unwilling to meet.
Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson is also a potential target, although the Cherries have slapped a £75m price tag on him.
A loan move for Olivier Giroud is another possibility, although Chelsea would be unlikely to let the France striker leave if, as expected, Alvaro Morata departs.
