West Ham target submits transfer request to end his four-year spell at Stoke City

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Marko+Arnautovic+Xherdan+Shaqiri+Stoke+City+ZcwafC4wpsNl

Marko Arnautovic has handed in a transfer request to end his four year spell at Stoke City, the Sky Sports report.

Since joining the Potters in 2013 for merely £2 million from Werder Bremen, Arnautovic has made 145 appearances for the Potters scoring 26 goals and providing 32 assists.

But the Austrian International has reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with what he believes is a lack of ambition at the bet365 stadium and has submitted a formal transfer request after holding talks with Stoke manager Mark Hughes last week.

Arnautovic was heavily linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Everton last summer, although the proposed move to the Goodison Park failed to materialize. But the 28-year-old has continued to attract interest from several clubs across Europe with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain thought to be potential suitors.

The 28-year-old made 32 Premier League appearances for Stoke last season, scoring six goals and providing five assists as Mark Hughes’ men finished 13th in the league standings in what could prove to be the Austrian’s final campaign at the club.

West Ham United, who are also working on a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Mexican striker Javier Hernandez, are considered as early favorites to sign Arnautovic as Hammers boss Slaven Bilic seeks to bolster his squad after a disappointing first campaign at the Olympic stadium.

Arnautovic signed a lucrative new four-year deal last year that runs until 2020 but an offer around £20 million could prove to be enough to prize away Arnautovic from Stoke this summer.

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