West Ham’s search for strikers should be rewarded in the next 48 hours, with the signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City.

Standard Sport understands that a £23 million deal for the 28-year-old Austrian international has been agreed and that the player himself has settled personal terms.

West Ham had earlier had two bids, the first for £15 million and the second for £20 million, rejected by Stoke but it has proved third time lucky for manager Slaven Bilic, who is desperate to add some fire power up front for his West Ham team next season, particularly with Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho still out injured.

Stoke were keen to clear £20 million as they are obliged, under the terms of a contract signed when the player joined them from Werder Bremen four seasons, ago to pay the German club 20 per cent of any further transfer fee.

Arnautovic, who injured a knee in a pre-season match for Stoke last week, is expected to undergo a medical and then join the West Ham squad at their training camp in Austria.

Bilic emphasised the need for striking reinforcements following the 0-0 draw with Sturm Graz last night when he said: “We should have scored five or six goals but to be fair we are not scoring in training so it was the same in the game.”

West Ham are also assessing a knee injury to midfield player Cheikhou Kouyate, picked up in training.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart meanwhile, who is joining West Ham on a season-long loan from Manchester City, passed a medical in London on Monday night.

