Marko Arnautovic: West Ham ace a problem in dressing room amid transfer interest - Jones
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC turns into a problem behind the scenes when he has his head turned by transfer speculation, former West Ham striker Steve Jones has claimed.
West Ham: Arnautovic addresses rumours after signing contract
Arnautovic cemented his status as a firm favourite among West Ham fans following his move from Stoke to the London Stadium in 2017.
But he took some of the shine off that status last month by pushing for a lucrative switch to Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.
Arnautovic ended up backtracking when West Ham refused to sell and went on to sign a heavily-incentivised contract extension as a result.
The announcement that he had committed his future to the Hammers until 2023 was accompanied by a video in which the Austrian insisted he had never refused to play or train.
Jones has not refuted Marko Arnautovic’s claims ahead of West Ham’s Premier League showdown with Liverpool on Monday night.
However, he has revealed it is his understanding that the 29-year-old becomes hard to deal with when he is a wanted man.
"At times, he can be exceptional and unplayable. But I think there's a little bit of unrule about him. I'm not sure about him in the dressing room," Jones told Love Sport Radio.
"I spoke to [former Stoke City assistant manager] Mark Bowen and he said: 'Steve, he was outstanding'.
Marko Arnautovic: West Ham ace a problem in dressing room amid transfer interest - Jones (Image: GETTY)
Marko Arnautovic: West Ham ace a problem in dressing room amid transfer interest - Jones (Image: GETTY)
"Mark was the one who brought him to England and they were great pals.
"But as soon as he got it in his head that he wanted to go, he completely changed.
"[Bowen] said: 'He was very hard to deal with and he wouldn't speak to no-one at the club.'
"I can see that with him. He is a good player if you can get him playing week in, week out.
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