West Ham's Arnautovic sale paves the way for club record Maxi Gomez transfer

On Monday morning the long awaited departure of Marko Arnautovic was finally confirmed, with the controversial forward moving onto the Chinese Super League with Shanghai SIPG.

There he'll be linking up with Brazilian duo Hulk and Oscar in a move that's earned the Hammers a fee of around £22m, ensuring that they recouped the cash they originally paid to Stoke City to land the Austrian two years ago.

It's not the best of business financially speaking by the Hammers as a player of his quality should be fetching a much bigger fee. But on the flip side they've managed to offload a real disruptive influence from the dressing room before he joined the squad for pre-season training, so Manuel Pellegrini & co can solely focus on the football - so it could prove to be a great decision.

Regardless of the Austrian remaining a Hammer or not, a new forward always at the top of Pellegrini's shopping list this summer as he looks to add to the three signings he's already made in David Martin, Roberto and Pablo Fornals.

Javier Hernandez is expected to depart the London Stadium whilst Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez have both been allowed to move on, so re-enforcements are needed in this area and they appear to have identified their man.

Pellegrini is believed to be a big advocate of Celta Vigo and Uruguay striker Maxi Gomez, who's attracting a lot of interest. The 22 year-old has been one of La Liga's standout talents over the course of the last two seasons and West Ham are believed to be facing heavy competition from Valencia, who can boast Champions League football.

But despite having European football under their belt, the East Londoners can offer a better financial package for both the player and Celta, so it would appear that they're are in driving seat.

Any transfer for the Uruguayan would shatter West Ham's transfer record which they broke just 12 months ago with the capture of Felipe Anderson (£36m), but is he worth the money should they win the race for his signature?

It seems like West Ham have been in the market for a new striker for years now. Their public pursuits of players such as Michy Batshuayi and Alexandre Lacazette immediately come to mind despite them ending up in tears, but this summer they could finally get that focal point that they've been searching for.

Fans of the Premier League may not be too familiar with the talents of Maxi Gomez, but believe us, this guy is very good. He has two full La Liga seasons under his belt and in that time he's managed to hit the back of the net 30 times in 69 appearances - not bad when you consider he's played for a team that ended the 19/20 campaign in 17th position.

West Ham have allowed the injury prone, aerial weapon Andy Carroll to depart and Javier Hernandez also looks set to follow suit, so they need to get a replacement drafted in and Gomez looks like the perfect fit.

Standing at 6"1 he's tall in stature and offers a physical presence, along with that bullish South American work rate that we've seen from the likes of Luis Suarez and Carlos Tevez in England in recent seasons to great effect.

Gomez's endeavour would make West Ham a threat both with and without the ball. He's something of a predator in the box, able to finish from anyway with both his feet and head, whilst also having that knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Whilst his desire and determination means that they'll be able to press and harass from the front without the ball - something that none of the departing/departed Hammers forwards could really offer.

West Ham have had a long standing interest in the Uruguay international since the January window when they failed to get a deal over the line and their supporters have been crying out for him since.

The prospect of him lining up alongside Felipe Anderson, Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini is a mouthwatering one and it could result in a lot of goals. They all have creativity, technical ability and talent in abundance & could do some real damage next season.

Last summer West Ham smashed their transfer record to land Lazio man Felipe Anderson, in a deal worth around £36m and it appears that twelve months on, they're going to have to do the same.

Celta are keen to hang onto their prized asset and are demanding that his release clause is paid up if they're to get this deal over the line, with it believed to be in the region of £45m.

It's a large amount of money and one that comfortably eclipses that record, but the money brought in from the fire-sale of Arnautovic could play a big part. The Austrian's departure will fund a decent chunk of that fee and they're going to have to act fast if the latest transfer rumours are true.

Valencia are desperate to beat West Ham to Gomez and it's believed a cash plus player offer which includes Santi Mina is interesting Celta. The Hammers have been in negotiations with the La Liga outfit for a while now but offering his release clause upfront will mean they can speak to the player and get a step ahead of the competition.

Missing out on Gomez would be a huge blow for Manuel Pellegrini who clearly sees the 22 year-old as the future of the clubs attack and if they could get a deal over the line, even at £45m, it could prove to be superb business.

He's proven in a top European league that he's a goalscorer despite playing for a club that's been battling relegation and he has all the attributes and characteristics required to succeed in the Premier League.

Say what you want about Arnautovic's behaviour and temperament as a West Ham player, but no one can doubt that when he's at it, he is a superb footballer. He's going to take some replacing and in Gomez the Hammers could well have the man to do that.

With him still young and learning, he could go on to achieve big things in England and grow into one of the top flights most prolific forwards. This would be some coup for West Ham, but will they make it happen?