Steve Sidwell believes Chelsea could solve their striker problem by signing Marko Arnautovic.
Speaking on Sky Sports The Debate, the former Chelsea midfielder gave his opinion on who The Blues should be looking at this month.
Sidwell played with the Austrian at Stoke City, and so know him well. The ex-Reading man has no doubt that given a choice, Arnautovic is what Chelsea need.
He said:
“I played with him at Stoke and I said then he could into the top four. He has that arrogance that he knows he is a good player. At Stoke he played wide and drifted in and got goals, now at West Ham he is the focal point and seems to love that. I think he would cost a lot more than £30m”.
Sidwell also noted that Arnautovic would need little time to settle in at Stamford Bridge. He added:
“He would go in and fit in the dressing room straight away and have the ego to go with it to say ‘this is a big club and I can match this’. You need that. You look at most top goalscorers and they carry teams on their backs sometimes”.
No need to sell
A glowing recommendation from a former team-mate. However, West Ham will not want to sell a key player as they chase a Europa League qualification spot. Reports last night suggested the 29-year-old is subject to a bid of £35m from an unnamed Chinese super league club.
Sky Sports are reporting The Hammers have rejected the bid. Sidwell’s valuation of £50m looks closer to the mark, although with The Irons wish to hold on to their man, there’s every chance it would cost considerably more.
The former Werder Bremen man is contracted to stay in East London until July 2022. With that in mind, West Ham have no reason to feel forced to sell.
From a Chelsea point of view, Arnautovic would compliment The Blues attacking front three. His ability to play out wide makes the Austrian international more attractive as a signing. Versatility adds to the players value.
At 29, Arnautovic would fit perfectly with regards to Chelsea’s contract policy. Players over the age of thirty are only offered short-term contracts. Meaning Arnautovic could be offered a long-term deal.
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