Hey, Marko Arnautovic how about a wage cut and a friend?

The West Ham rumor mill is a relentless beast and with an enigmatic team leader like Marko Arnautovic being the inflammatory hothead that he is, the rumors are flying. The latest rumors have both linked Arnautovic away from the club and stated he wants a massive deal. True or not both could be resolved in a club-friendly manner.

The links taking Arnautovic away from West Ham to a Champions League club can all be read, assessed, and understood here. The TL:DR on that rumor is that Arnautovic’s brother/agent was talking out of turn and non-factually about his brother. The words were twisted but the basic message should have been that Arnautovic is due for a new contract after success at West Ham.

This directly links to the second rumor – that Arnautovic is demanding a £200,000 a week contract to stay at West Ham. This would make Arnautovic the West Ham wages leader by a long shot and would destroy the club’s finances and locker room hierarchy in the process. The ever-reliable ITK blogger ExWHUemployee has squashed this rumor now verifying that Arnautovic has not asked for these wages.

Both rumors were also met with Instagram comments from Arnautovic himself suggesting that the information was false and specifically saying ‘don’t believe everything you read’ as a message to West Ham fans and fan accounts.

The old adage states that where there is smoke there is fire, and while Arnautovic may not want out of the club or a whopping £200k/week salary, he may still think he is monetarily undervalued in the team.

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My solution? Use the money raised in January to redistribute the wealth with new Arnautovic and Rice contracts and bring in some new, young blood from Arnautovic’s Austrian international team. The player I want is Peter Zulj.

Zulj, as mentioned, is an Austrian international, patrolling the midfield for his nation and backing up Arnautovic down the center of the pitch. He is 25 years old which is an added bonus and currently plays in the Austrian Bundesliga with Sturm Graz. His side is currently mid-table in the league, and his contract expires at season end. His team could look to cash in on his value as soon as possible before he demands a big money contract (relatively) or a move away.

As for his play, in league play this season Zulj has four goals and three assists playing down the middle of the field, regularly shifting between attacking, central, and defensive midfield positions. His versatility in the middle of the pitch provides what West Ham’s midfielders lack and could be an added reason for signing the player.

Last season Zulj went on a tear for his team. The midfielder looked more like an out-and-out attacker as he scored eight goals, adding 17 assists in the Austrian Bundesliga. Zulj, rightfully so, earned Austrian footballer of the year for his consistent goalscoring in 2017/18.

For West Ham, a move for Zulj would be cost effective and smart business. Zulj was rumored to be a target for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, and Sheffield Wednesday in the summer for a fee in the region of £7 million. His form has regressed a bit and half a year has expired on his deal so the fee could remain similar as a value addition for the Hammers.

What Zulj offers over, oh let’s say, Samir Nasri is the ability to add him on at a relatively low wage and let him grow into a first-team position with his youthful age. Declan Rice has asserted himself as an everyday starter, Manuel Lanzini is a must-start when fit, Jack Wilshere would press both for starting time, but another effective player who excels at defensive midfield would be a perfect fit for West Ham.

This could also be a proactive move to settle Arnautovic at the club. When he signed with West Ham it was imperative that Sead Haksabanovic signed with him as he was a promising talent, good friend of Arnautovic, and represented by the same agent. Zulj would be another step in the direction of surrounding Arnautovic with players that he gets along with and also players that could help the team on the pitch.

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I doubt Arnautovic leaves the club especially with the rumor mill suggesting Antonio and Chicharito could be out of the club. Reinvest in talent that starts for the club and reinforce the midfield with Peter Zulj and West Ham could turn January into a Premier League launching pad.

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