West Ham United have confirmed the departure of Austria international striker Marko Arnautovic to Chinese Super League champions Shanghai SIPG in just 43 words.
The Hammers put up a statement on their official website and weren’t in the mood to include a “Thank You” at the end.
“West Ham United can confirm that Marko Arnautovic has joined Chinese Super League champions Shanghai SIPG for an undisclosed fee,” the statement read.
“The 30-year-old Austrian departs after two seasons at London Stadium, during which he scored 22 goals in 65 appearances in Claret and Blue.”
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker found the action funny, and has reacted to it on Twitter thus:
Lovely send off for Arnautovic from the Hammers’ Twitter account. ? https://t.co/2BdK9d92mX
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 8, 2019
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini and players got tired of Arnautovic’s behavior and were more than ready to see his back after he submitted another transfer request to leave.
The 30-year-old appeared ready to snub interest from the Chinese after signing a four-year contract extension in January just days after demanding an exit.
The former Stoke City striker will earn around £200,000-per-week at Shanghai – double what he earned with the Hammers – and a move was always on the cards.
West Ham’s short message, including that of co-owner David Gold, says a lot about how they feel about Arnautovic, and it’s safe to say he has become a disliked figure at the London Stadium.
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