Stoke City reject second West Ham bid for Arnautovic

Stoke City have turned down a second bid from West Ham United for Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic. The former Werder Bremen man placed a transfer request earlier in the month, but the Potters are likely to make it difficult for him to leave.

Slaven Bilic's side had an opening bid of £15m knocked back for the attacker, and they have suffered a similar fate with their second offer worth £20m, Sky Sports News confirms.

Arnautovic's teammate Charlie Adam recently suggested that the Potters could play hardball over negotiations for the influential forward, and it appears that the Staffordshire have no intention to sell as of now.

The 27-year-old has bagged 26 in 145 outings for the Potters to date, and the club are reluctant to place a valuation on a player, who can be outstanding on his day.

Arnautovic had previously attracted interest from French giants Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but they have moved onto other targets following an average season, where he bagged just six league goals.