Stoke round up: Midfield duo depart; Frenchman arrives on loan; Imbula edges towards exit

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West Ham United have confirmed that they have signed Austrian star Marko Arnautovic from Premier League rivals Stoke City for a club record fee of £20 million which could rise up to £25 million with add-ons.

The 28-year-old was one of Mark Hughes first signings when he was appointed as manager in 2013 and the charismatic winger went on to make over 100 appearances for The Potters over the last four seasons.

He has become a central figure in the club’s recent success and was widely admired by supporters for his personality, self-assured attitude and performances on the pitch – he was directly involved in 25% of Stoke’s goals last season.

However, Arnautovic handed in a formal transfer request earlier in the summer and made it clear that he wanted to leave the Bet365 Stadium before the start of the new season despite being just twelve months into a new long-term contract.

West Ham were the only club to show a definitive interest in the player, with Slaven Bilic keen to revamp his attacking line-up, and have been engrossed in detailed negotiations with The Potters for the past month.

Arnautovic told BBC Sport: “Everyone knows that West Ham is a big club and I’m happy to be part of it. If feel special to be a West Ham player. They are crazy for football and that is what I like.”

The Austrian becomes The Hammers’ third signing of the summer following deals for England goalkeeper Joe Hart and Argentinian full-back Pablo Zabaleta.

Arnautovic was not the only player to depart the Bet365 Stadium over the past five days, with Republic of Ireland International Glenn Whelan moving to Championship side Aston Villa for a fee of £1 million last week.

The 33-year-old, who has been capped 81 times, has been a central figure at Stoke since joining from Sheffield Wednesday for £500,000, in January 2008. The central midfielder was part of The Potters’ promotion winning side in 2008 and has been a constant performer in the starting eleven during the club’s nine seasons in the Premier League, making a total of 336 appearances.

Whelan’s departure comes after the club confirmed the signing of West Bromwich Albion captain Darren Fletcher at the start of the summer, with Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph also heavily linked with a move to The Potteries, as per Sky Sports. Mark Hughes is looking to freshen up his midfield options and the Irishman was unlikely to receive substantial game time next season despite his considerable experience.

Stoke were also able to successfully negotiate a season-long loan deal for high-rated Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma at the end of last week, beating off competition from reportedly twenty other clubs.

The 22-year-old signed a new six-year deal with The Blues prior to agreeing to join The Potters and is widely regarded as one of the most talented young defenders in Europe. He arrived at Stamford Bridge three and a half years ago from French club St Etienne but has seen his career stall over the last twelve months due to injuries.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has confirmed that Zouma remains part of his long-term plans but has reiterated his belief that the defender requires a year of regular game time to rediscover his fitness and form.

Speaking to the Stoke City official website, Mark Hughes revealed his delight at finally securing the Frenchman’s services for the forthcoming year:

“Kurt is undoubtedly one of the most talented young defenders in the game, so naturally his arrival will enhance our playing squad. We have prioritised adding further strength in depth to defensive positions this summer and we have certainly done that by fending off any number of clubs who were all interested.”

“On his day he is one of the most impressive defenders in the league and whilst injury unfortunately hampered his progress at Chelsea last season, we are certain that we can give him the platform to recapture the form he showed prior to his setback.”

Finally, the Daily Mail are reporting that Giannelli Imbula could be heading to Italian club Torino next season as the Frenchman’s future continues to look uncertain. The central midfielder has fallen out of favour at the Bet365 Stadium despite arriving in The Potteries just eighteen months ago for a club record fee of £18 million from Porto.

The 24-year-old has been unable to hold down a regular place in the starting eleven or, at times, the match day squad during the previous campaign and is expected to depart during the summer. Mark Hughes has admitted that the club are open to offers and will allow the player to leave should an appropriate bid be received.

The Mail are suggesting that Torino are preparing to negotiate a season-long loan deal for Imbula followed by a potential permanent move worth £13.2 million next summer, although it remains unclear whether such an offer will be enough to convince Stoke to cash-in.