Focused Marko Arnautovic offers Manuel Pellegrini his clearest hope| Jacob Steinberg

Maturity and diligence have made the difference for the West Ham striker who has gone from liability to linchpin

When Manchester United showed an interest in Marko Arnautovic at the start of the summer, it was tempting to wonder whether West Ham would be wise to cash in on a player who turns 30 in April. There was an argument that it would have been risky for the east London club, who had seethed at the manner of Dimitri Payet’s departure to Marseille 18 months earlier, to stand in the Austrian’s way following talk that United were preparing a £50m offer.

What if Arnautovic reacted badly? What if he went on strike? He has not always been noted for his maturity and the harsh reality is that every player has his price, especially when a club of United’s clout come calling. Yet there was nothing to discuss as far as West Ham were concerned and anyone who saw Arnautovic destroy Everton on Sunday would have understood why they deemed him irreplaceable.

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