Marko Arnautovic confirms he will stay at West Ham for the rest of the season

The Austrian forward had been linked with a lucrative move to China but in an Instagam post on Friday he promised to stay at the London Stadium

(Reuters)

Marko Arnautovic has confirmed he will stay at West Ham until the end of the season.

The Austrian forward had been linked with a lucrative move to China but in an Instagam post on Friday he promised to stay at the London Stadium at least for the remainder of the campaign.

Arnautovic admitted their had been contact from another club but after discussions with West Ham and with his family, he has decided to remain in the Premier League.

“Dear West Ham fans, I guess it’s no secret that there has been an offer for me and I have to admit that the offer was a very tempting one for me and my family. I’ve given 100% to my club duties but I have also needed some time to talk to my club, my wife and the rest of my family.

“I have now decided to put a stop to all the writings and speculation.

“I’m a professional footballer and the only thing I know in life is to play football. It’s clear that London and West Ham United feels like home for me and I hope the West Ham fans have always seen that.

“The club has pointed my career in the right direction since I joined and therefore I want to put the offers aside, help the club to climb as high as possible in the table and try to win the Cup.

“Let’s focus on the rest of this season together and let them bubbles fly. COYI.”

The news will be a significant boost to Manuel Pellegrini, the West Ham manager, who retains one of his most talented players as the club look to push into the top half of the table and challenge for a Europa League spot.

The 29-year-old was left out of the 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth amid ongoing speculation over his future, but is likely to return to the side either in Saturday’s FA Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon or in Tuesday’s visit to high-flying Wolves.