• West Ham insist Austria forward is not for sale • ‘It is his great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China’

Marko Arnautovic wants West Ham to accept the £35m bid from an unnamed Chinese club to allow him to “challenge for titles” but has been told he is not for sale.

The forward signed in July 2017 for £20m, plus an additional £5m in potential add-ons, and is West Ham’s joint-top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions. Manuel Pellegrini on Thursday dismissed suggestions the 29-year-old could leave this month but having admitted in November the Austrian would like to test himself in the Champions League, Arnautovic’s brother Danijel, who also acts as his agent, released a statement which asks for them to allow him to move to the Chinese Super League.

FA looks into West Ham’s sponsorship deal with USM sports agency Read more

“West Ham bought Marko for peanuts. They paid £20m for him, which is nothing in the current market,” read the statement. “They bought him to keep them in the Premier League last season and he did that. He took every award at the club; best player, signing of the season and the players’ award.

“Now West Ham have a fantastic offer. It is close to double what they paid for him. He wants to go to a new market and challenge for titles. This is what he wants. It is his great desire that West Ham accept the offer from China.”

Reports have stated the offer is from the CSL champions Shanghai SIPG, although their permitted allocation of three overseas players is filled by the former Chelsea midfielder Oscar and his fellow Brazilians Hulk and Elkeson. The deal would mean Arnautovic stands to earn £40m over a four-year contract, a large upgrade on his West Ham wage of £90,000 a week.

Pellegrini underlined his determination to keep Arnautovic before West Ham’s home match with Arsenal on Saturday, with the club later issuing a statement which read: “Marko has a contract and we fully expect him to honour it. He is not for sale.”

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

It is understood West Ham will not consider selling him this month, because of the difficulties replacing him.

Arnautovic, whose contract expires in 2022, is believed to have asked to open negotiations over a new improved deal if the club will not allow him to leave. Stoke are also believed to have a sell-on clause that would entitle them to 20% of any future transfer fee.