Marko Arnautovic wants to leave West Ham United and join a club in China, his agent and brother has exclusively told talkSPORT.
The Hammers have rejected an offer of £35million from an unnamed Chinese Super League side for the Austria international, who cost the club £20m to buy in 2017.
“He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles. This is what he wants.
“It is his great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China.”
Arnautovic agreed a move to West Ham in July 2017, joining from the club’s then Premier League rivals Stoke. The former Inter Milan man has gone from strength to strength in the year-and-a-half since he swapped Staffordshire for London, with 19 goals netted in all competitions.
Incredibly, he needs just seven more goals to match the tally he recorded throughout his entire 145-game career with Stoke.
Arnautovic helped fire the Hammers to Premier League safety last season, and in doing so quickly established himself as a fan favourite.
Despite his desire to leave the London Stadium this month, Danijel promised his brother will continue to give 100 per cent for the club up until he no longer represents them.
Earlier on Thursday, Manuel Pellegrini, the West Ham manager, responded to the rumoured big-money bid for Arnautovic, who is currently level with Felipe Anderson in the club’s scoring charts for the season.
“They are rumours,” Pellegrini said. “We know Marko is a very good player so maybe a lot of clubs will want him to play for their team, but at the moment he is a West Ham player and we want to keep him.
“I think Marko and all the other players involved in rumours have their heads here and want to continue playing the way they are doing so far.
“I am sure his head will be in the game against Arsenal and it will not affect his performance.”
West Ham have been linked with signing Callum Wilson, the Bournemouth and England forward, as a replacement for Arnautovic should he be sold before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Arnautovic is the latest Premier League player linked with a move to the Chinese Super League, along with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mousa Dembele, the Tottenham midfielder.
Though the CSL’s transfer window opened on January 1 – the same day the European window opened – it does not close at the same time, with signings allowed to be made up until the final day of February.
