Marko Arnautovic has finally completed his sour exit from West Ham. Six months after trying to force a move to China, he has finally completed his switch to Shanghai SIPG.
The riches of China have attracted Arnautovic away from the Premier League. The 30-year-old scored 22 times in two years for West Ham but he leaves East London as a highly unpopular figure.
There are two main reasons given for the Austrian seeking a move to China. Firstly, he would earn more in the Far East. And secondly, he reportedly wants to win trophies. So we take a closer look at what he will be earning and whether he will win any silverware with Shanghai SIPG.
Marko Arnautovic finances
It was widely accepted that West Ham sold Arnautovic for below their valuation. And the entire situation has been explained in a report by The Mirror.
West Ham will reportedly receive £22.5m for Arnautovic. The Hammers valued their striker at around £34.5m but have sanctioned a quick sale for £12m less because they feared he would go on strike.
The club shelled between £20m and £25m (depending on add-ons) when they signed Arnautovic from Stoke City (BBC Sport). So West Ham have either made a small profit, a small loss or broken even on Arnautovic.
At Shanghai SIPG, Arnautovic will receive higher wages than he did at West Ham. His wage will rise from £130k-per-week to £200k-per-week, according to The Mirror.
Shanghai SIPG title prospects
When Arnautovic first asked to leave West Ham (in January), his brother Danijel told talkSPORT: “He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles. This is what he wants.”
But will he get silverware when he moves to Shanghai SIPG? Well, the Chinese club – who were only formed in 2005 – are the current title holders in the Chinese Super League.
It is a 16-team league and Shanghai SIPG won their first title in 2018. They will now defend their title and have enlisted Arnautovic to help them achieve that.
At Shanghai, he becomes the fourth non-Chinese player at the club – one is Uzbek midfielder Odil Ahmedov, who does not count towards the overseas quota.
Brazilian duo Oscar (ex-Chelsea) and Hulk, alongside Arnautovic, are three of the four overseas players allowed in Shanghai’s squad. Only three can be on the field at the same time.
Shanghai will be among the favourites to win the league again in 2019 but seven-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande will be eager to reclaim the title again.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
