Medical passed: West Ham set to confirm signing on Saturday – report
By Aramide Oladipo
Attacking midfielder Marko Arnautovic is one step closer to becoming a West Ham United player after passing a medical at the club, according to a report.
The Evening Standard claims that the 28-year-old is set to fly out with his new teammates next week as the Hammers travel to Germany for three pre-season friendlies.
The newspaper claims that West Ham have agreed to sign the playmaker from Stoke City for £24million which will make him the club’s record transfer, and they are set to announce his arrival to the London Stadium on Saturday.
Arnautovic is set to become the third summer signing for the Hammers after they secured the signatures of experienced full-back Pablo Zabaleta on a permanent deal and England international goalkeeper Joe Hart on a season-long loan.
The Austrian does not appear to be the only player set to join the Hammers this summer as the Sun recently reported that former Manchester United talisman Javier Hernandez is expected to undergo a medical at the East London club.
The attacking midfielder has demonstrated that he can produce the goods during his four-year stint in the Premier League with Stoke.
Arnautovic scored seven goals and provided six assists in all competitions for Stoke, only striker Peter Crouch scored more goals for the club last season.
Football Insider verdict
This is a fantastic piece of business for the Hammers as Arnautovic has proven himself to be a serious attacking threat in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons. The Austrian will only benefit from a good pre-season with his new club and Slaven Bilic should be credited for completing the deal before the start of the new campaign. Arnautovic will surely feel the pressure of becoming the most expensive signing in the club’s history but if he can hit the ground running, he could be crucial in helping the Hammers secure European football next season.
In other West Ham news, the Irons have had a mammoth bid of over £24.3million accepted for this lightning quick Serie A star.
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