Man Utd news: Stuart Pearce says West Ham star Marko Arnautovic is good enough for a top-four side (Image: SKY SPORTS/GETTY)
That is according to former West Ham defender and assistant manager Stuart Pearce as the 29-year-old is linked with a move to Manchester United.
Pearce knows Arnautovic well from his time as David Moyes’ No 2 at the London Stadium last season.
Arnautovic has been linked with a move away from West Ham in the last few days after confirming while on international duty he would love to play with the best players in Europe.
United were reportedly keen on the Austrian in the summer and are once again said to be interested in signing him.
Has he got the tools to be a top-four player? Undoubtedly. He’s got a bit of everything
Stuart Pearce on West Ham star Marko Arnautovic
Pearce says West Ham will not want to let Arnautovic leave but reckons the striker has more than what it takes to succeed at the top end of the Premier League.
“He’s a West Ham player, he’s under contract at West Ham,” Pearce told Sky Sports.
“I don’t think that West Ham will want to sell him.
“For what he’s done, David Moyes has got to play a big, big part for me in his development as a player, playing him up front, continually being onto him everyday about his work-rate, which he embraced fantastically well I must say.
Man Utd news: Pearce knows Marko Arnautovic well following his time at West Ham last season (Image: SKY SPORTS)
Man Utd news: Marko Arnautovic has been linked with an exit from West Ham (Image: GETTY)
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“Has he got the tools to be a top-four player? Undoubtedly. He’s got a bit of everything.
“He scores, he’s strong, he knows the game, he’s quick off the mark, he wants to run in behind.
“So he’s got some real good tools. But West Ham won’t want to lose him.”
Pearce says if West Ham were to lose Arnautovic then they do not have a readymade replacement at the club for him.
Man Utd news: Marko Arnautovic has been on international duty with Austria (Image: GETTY)
“If he left West Ham now you’ve got a permanently injured Andy Carroll, Chicharito (Javier Hernandez), who's sort of in and out the team,” he continued.
“He can be a goalscorer but can he lead the line on his own is the question mark?
“(Lucas) Perez potentially. But they’re no Arnautovic.
“You’re dropping off a cliff a little bit in my opinion with the quality of striker you’ve got and the fear factor he puts into opposition.”
Arnautovic has scored 16 goals for West Ham in 46 appearances since arriving from Stoke in 2017.