REACTION: Marko Arnautovic signs for West Ham

It’s been a busy couple weeks as West Ham have signed three big name players. Joe Hart, Javier Hernandez, and now Marko Arnautovic.

Here are how the Brace the Hammer writers feel about the big Austrian coming to London.

Trevor Criswell

Arnautovic on the left could form formidable partnerships with our two left (wing?) backs, but his ability to also play centrally is also valuable. Some claim he dropped off a bit last year which is a red flag, but hopefully a change to the LS will do him some good.

Again, the biggest thing coming out of this and the Chicharito signings is that there is not too much mystery surrounding these players: the are known and proven in the league and will help the side this season.

Brian Tenerowicz

The Arnautovic signing is tricky for me. While I think he's a good player, I think we could have possibly paid a bit too much. But he's a solid player, and winger was a position we needed, so it's not the end of the world. If he can be consistent it'll be a great signing.

Pete Schlenker

Another attacking winger to give the team some depth if and when the injuries start to pile up. Will pair well with Antonio on the wings and provide some attacking spark.

Garett Kerber

A Premier League-proven, big, left winger with pace had 11 goals and 6 assists in 2015-16 and then had a “down” year with 6 goals and 7 assists in 2016-17. I’ll take him even in the down year. He wasn’t exactly playing with Antonio, Lanzini, and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez at Stoke and so I’m optimistic he’ll return closer to 2015-16 form than the 2016-17 version.

Chad Hoy

Once again, the board have done some fantastic business on this one. Arnautovic comes to the club for a record fee, and at 28 he's got very good football ahead of him still. I'm really looking forward to what Arnie can bring on the left wing, as that's a spot the Hammers have been lacking since the sale of * *whispers* * Dimitri Payet.

Jackson Schmidtke

I’m lukewarm on this deal. I think we paid too much for a player that his hot and cold and will have little resale value. I have concerns about his attitude and any player that hands in a transfer request to make a seemingly lateral move worries me. However, I think the idea of him and Michail Antonio on the wings is certainly an exciting prospect especially if Marko plays like he did a few years ago. I would have preferred to sign a young promising striker rather than Marko (cough Iheanacho) but I haven’t won power-ball and can’t buy West Ham yet.

Wallace Milner

I'm torn with Arnautovic. On his day his the best winger in the league outside the top 6. The problem is he just isn't consistent enough. Last year he scored 7 goals, despite playing almost every game. That said, he thrived playing alongside a silky play-maker in Bojan. West Ham have Lanzini, an even better option. I think we spent too much, but I’m hopeful,.

Tom Atherton

What a front line we’ll have next year, Arnautovic, Lanzini, Antonio & Hernandez. Pace to burn with a serious set of skills, I’m incredibly excited for the coming season. The one thing that worries me about Marko however is his attitude, but if there’s one person who’ll slap that shit right out of him, it’s Slaven Bilic.

Jonathan Liebling

I agree mostly with Tommy here. I think the skill and talent are all there but the one cause for concern is consistency. Arnie needs to bring the same level of attitude and competitive edge to each match or Hammer fans will call him out on it. Not tracking back to cover? Oh no, son, none of that here. Giving up on a play? Leave that in practice.