West Ham must not fall into same trap as Stoke by selling Marko Arnautovic

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West Ham United face a battle to keep hold of star player Marko Arnautovic this summer, with plenty of teams said to be monitoring the Austrian. Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is planing a reunion with the player, who he worked with briefly at Inter Milan. Now, it is reported by The Sun that Everton are also in the hunt. The Toffees new boss Marco Silva is said to be keen on the player, with a £50 million price-tag being mentioned.

West Ham must however heed the warning of Stoke City before they allow the forward to leave.

Last season Stoke were relegated to the Championship. The Potters were one of the worst performing teams in the league and will now play their football in the second-tier next season.

One of the key reasons behind their demise was the departure of their star attacker, Arnautovic.

The Austrian was the club’s main goal-threat and, without his presence, they did not have the firepower to fight off the drop.

West Ham must not fall into the same trap. Without Arnautovic there is no doubt West Ham could have found themselves dropping out of the Premier League last season.

The price-tag is large. West Ham would be doubling their money with the player’s sale and from a financial sense, the Hammers would be right to move him on.

However, from a footballing standpoint, West Ham would be losing their talisman and fan favourite. Arnautovic is one of those players that is irreplaceable for West Ham. He clearly knows what it means to be a Hammer and his performances show that on a weekly basis.

Of course, he might want to make the move. If Manchester United come calling it will be hard for the Austrian to say no. But West Ham must make sure they do not end up suffering the way Stoke did if he does move o.