Jermaine Jenas Claims West Ham Should Sign a Striker to Replace Marko Arnautovic
Pundit Jermaine Jenas has claimed that West Ham United need to sign a striker this summer as Marko Arnautovic does not have the attributes required to play as the club's focal point.
Having joined the Hammers as a winger at the start of last season, Arnautovic's role in the side changed when David Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic as manager, with the former Manchester United boss moving the Austrian international into the central striking berth.
Arnautovic went on to perform well in the second half of the campaign, ending the season as the club's player of the year and scoring 11 Premier League goals.
Catherine Ivill/GettyImages
The 30-year-old has not been at his best under Manuel Pellegrini this year however and Jenas is of the opinion that, despite how well he did last season, he should not be playing as a centre forward.
Speaking on Saturday night's Match of the Day (as quoted by HITC) following the club's 2-2 draw with Leicester City, Jenas said: "This guy Arnautovic is a top player, but he doesn't think like a striker.
“His first thought is never to get into that six-yard box, find those scrappy goals, those tap-ins.
"He's always drifting towards the edge of the box – to progress I think they need to go and find a number nine."
ANTHONY WALLACE/GettyImages
Jenas had support in the studio from the Premier League's highest ever goalscorer Alan Shearer, who was also of the mind that West Ham should be looking for someone else to play through the middle.
The Newcastle legend stressed how difficult a task that will be though, with the majority of top flight teams looking for a similar type of player.
Shearer said: “Totally agree with what he's saying there, but what I would say is half the Premier League are looking for that striker.”
Jordan Mansfield/GettyImages
Pellegrini will have a big summer ahead if he is to close the gap on the teams above them with his team struggling in recent weeks in their battle to finish in seventh place.
A run of just one win in six matches has seen them slip to 11th position, six points behind Watford who currently occupy the spot below the top six.
