The burning issue at West Ham — and a lot less pleasurable to talk about — is Marko Arnautovic and the bid from a Chinese club.
He is an exceptional striker, he has been invaluable for us, we’ve been good for him and he will be very difficult to replace if he goes. I know him well and I speak to him a lot. Believe me, he loves West Ham and the fans.
I could have moved at times for more money, but this club are part of my DNA. I grew up two minutes from Upton Park. It’s different for Marko and everyone should try and take the emotion out of it and ask themselves: if you were given the opportunity to quadruple your salary, what would you do?
That’s the world we live in and it hurts me, because I love Marko. Would I blame him if he goes? No, although I would much rather he stayed. In the end he has to do the best for himself and his family in a relatively short career.
If Marko had received an offer to go to Everton or Arsenal for an extra 10 or 15 grand a week, I would have said, “Come on mate, stay.”
I am also pretty sure he would have agreed with me. Four times your wages, though? Tax free? That’s life changing.
