West Ham have made it clear they will not be bullied into selling Marko Arnautovic on the cheap as the striker seeks a lucrative transfer to China.
Arnautovic is ready to try to force his way out of West Ham for the second time in seven months, although he has not handed in a formal transfer request.
His brother and agent Danijel is trying to engineer a move and West Ham have rejected a bid of around £20million from an unnamed Chinese Super League club.
The Hammers value Arnautovic at £40m and immediately dismissed the offer as derisory.
West Ham will take a hard stance with the 30-year-old but they will consider selling him if their valuation is met and they can find a replacement.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini has targeted Celta Vigo forward Maxi Gomez and may decide it is in the best interest of the club to sell a player whose behaviour has been disruptive.
Pellegrini will not want another long-running transfer saga involving Arnautovic and the wantaway Austrian is clearly not happy at West Ham. His relationship with the club's supporters also looks to have fractured beyond repair.
Arnautovic had been due to join up with the West Ham squad at their pre-season training camp in Switzerland next Monday.
But his brother Danijel's latest comments have not gone down well with the club and it remains to be seen if Pellegrini will want a potentially unsettling influence in the camp.
Danijel told Sky Sports: “He is not a cow or a horse which you bring to market. He is a highly talented footballer who’s simply being used by West Ham. He’s just a number to them.
“West Ham were trying to get rid of Marko right up until the last minute of the January transfer window and they are still trying to sell him right now. West Ham are still speaking to the Chinese club.
"He is still for sale and it is simply a case of how much money West Ham can get for him”
It is only seven months since Arnautovic tried to force through a move to China before signing a new contract worth around £130,000 a week and which runs until 2023.
