Manuel Pellegrini believes Marko Arnautovic has not yet reached his full potential.
The West Ham United manager has been impressed with the Austrian’s level of performance since taking charge in the summer – but believes he can get even better.
And Pellegrini has challenged the Hammer of the Year to produce even more, starting by leading his team to victory over Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marko is conscious at this moment that he can be more and I am confident he can be more
Manuel Pellegrini
“Marko at the moment has not yet reached what he is able to do for different reasons, because he has a special personality, but this year I see him working hard” said the manager ahead of the London Stadium showdown with Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils.
“I didn't work with him before but he is conscious at this moment that he can be more and I am confident he can be more.
“I don't want to compare him with any other top strikers because every player is different and has different moments and this is the moment for Marko to demonstrate he is a top player.”
Arnautovic, who returns to the squad after recovering from a knee injury, spent the majority of his career playing on the left side of the attack with Twente, Werder Bremen, Stoke City and Austria, before being moved to a centre forward role last December.
And Pellegrini believes the No7’s all-round talents mean he can play anywhere across the forward line and carry a threat to the opposition.
"He played on the left wing at Stoke but he always arrived in the box,” the manager recalled. “I remember one of the best games that I saw of him was against Manchester City. He can play in the three front positions.
“He had a very good second half of last season. Now Marko needs to have a complete season because he is a top player and maybe he can reach a higher target than he has done at the moment.”