West Ham sold ‘unbelievable’ star for £23m in 2019, now he’s outperforming Jarrod Bowen
Nuno Espirito Santo has had very little time to address the issues plaguing West Ham at both ends of the pitch.
West Ham lost 2-0 to Arsenal before the international break, only compiling more misery for the Hammers, who have conceded more goals than any other Premier League team this season.
And with six goals scored in their opening seven games, only Nottingham Forest and Wolves have hit the back of the net fewer times. It is impossible to suggest which needs improving first.
Jarrod Bowen continues to shine for West Ham, scoring in three of his seven league starts, but even the England international has had enough impact to drag his team out of the relegation zone.
Nuno Espirito Santo has major fixes to make at West Ham
The Hammers have a history of poor transfer choices in the final third, especially during the David Sullivan era. Unsurprisingly, Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson have not set the world alight.
From Emmanuel Eminike to Xande Silva, the only striker to truly become a success in East London in recent times was Michail Antonio, and sadly, he has moved on from the London Stadium.
One forward that the Hammers may now be regretting letting go, however, is Marko Arnautovic. The now-36-year-old was with the club for just two seasons – 2017-18 and 2018-19.
In that time, he notched 20 goals and seven assists, becoming a much-loved figure despite his disciplinary issues on the pitch, but he was sold to Shanghai Port for just £23.3million [The Standard].
Marko Arnautovic would still start for the Hammers
He has since played for Bologna and Inter Milan before signing for Red Star Belgrade during the summer. There was talk of the Hammers resigning him, and now they may regret not pulling the trigger.
Arnautovic’s name is currently trending after slotting four goals past San Marino on Thursday, 9 October, but that is not all the veteran striker has done so far this season.
Dubbed “unbelievable” by Javier Hernandez during their time together in East London [West Ham website], he has two goals and four assists in nine appearances in the Serbian top-flight division.
Even though he struggled during his time in Italy, he scored 14 goals in 62 appearances, showcasing his ability to still play at the very top level. West Ham are desperate for someone like him in East London.