Stoke hoping to keep wantaway star

Stoke City are desperate to keep hold of key attacker Marko Arnautovic amid interest from West Ham United, despite the fact that the Austrian international has handed in a transfer request. 

Arnautovic has returned to pre-season training and asked for a move away from his current team with West Ham rumoured to have made him a major target. 

The Potters do not want to lose their striker at all, but if they are to sell, it will have to be for more than the £15 million that the London club have already offered. 

In an interview with the Stoke Sentinel, manager Mark Hughes said "Marko and his people have put in a transfer request but that happens on occasions. Any comings and goings are at our discretion and it's our decision ultimately."

This statement from Hughes suggests that the club will not be pressured into selling one of their first team players, but will also help to push the price up further, which is often not the case when a player has asked to leave. 

Arnautovic joined Stoke from Werder Bremen in 2013 and signed a new four-year contract with the club just last year. He has played 145 times for The Potters, but his pre-season appearance against  Neuchatel Xamax yesterday could prove to be his last.