West Ham fail with Marko Arnautovic bid

West Ham United have reportedly failed with an opening £15m bid for Stoke City attacker Marko Arnautovic. The Austria international has handed a transfer request after having spent nearly four seasons with the Staffordshire club.

According to Sky Sports News, the Hammers are looking for offensive additions during this summer's transfer window following their struggles to score goals on a regular basis last term.

The east London club only managed 47 goals throughout the 2016/17 campaign, and this happened to be only the 11th best scoring record likewise to their position.

West Ham are likely to return with a second bid for the 28-year-old in the coming days as they look to open their cheque books in what has been a quiet transfer window by their standards.

Pablo Zabaleta has been the club's only recruit of the transfer window following his arrival on a free from Manchester City earlier last month.

Arnautovic has netted 26 goals in 145 appearances for the Potters since arriving from Werder Bremen back in 2013. He has previously been the subject of interest from Paris Saint-Germain, but the French club have switched their attention elsewhere.