Manchester United have reportedly been told to shell out €15 million to sign Bologna centre-forward Marko Arnautovic, who is keen on moving to Old Trafford.
According to 90 min, Serie A side Bologna have named their price for Marko Arnautovic, who is attracting interest from Premier League club Manchester United. The Red Devils recently made an enquiry for the Austrian hitman and also had an offer turned down, with the Serie A outfit demanding €15 million for the Austrian attacker.
After bringing Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez through the door this summer, Erik ten Hag continues to pursue Frenkie de Jong and other targets. However, there has been little progress for him in attacking areas amid concerns over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United future.
With Ronaldo deemed not fit enough to start and Anthony Martial injured for the Premier League opener, ten Hag deployed Eriksen as a false nine against Brighton & Hove Albion, and the plan backfired, as the Seagulls ran away with all three points from Old Trafford.
No sooner than the dust had settled on that defeat, widespread reports claimed that Bologna had turned down a bid from Manchester United for Marko Arnautovic, with the revelation raising eyebrows at Old Trafford and beyond.
The former Stoke City striker has surfaced as a shock target for the Red Devils as they look to beef up their attacking options in the remaining weeks of the window. Arnautovic is currently on the books of Serie A outfit Bologna, having joined them from the Chinese club Shanghai Port last summer.
In his first season in Italy, the striker demonstrated that he has not lost his goalscoring venom from his days at Stoke City and West Ham United, scoring 15 goals and registering one assist in 34 appearances across all competitions, helping Bologna to secure a comfortable mid-table finish, well clear of relegation.
While there is genuine interest in a big-money move for Red Bull Salzburg’s Benjamin Sesko, there have been conflicting reports about the 19-year-old’s future, with some claiming the Slovenian international would prefer to stay at Salzburg for another year to continue his development before making a switch to a bigger club.
Furthermore, with Salzburg demanding a high price for the 19-year-old striker, the deal could be a tricky one to get over the line for Manchester United. Arnautovic is viewed as a low-cost, short-term option who can offer Premier League experience and would provide some competition up front.
The 33-year-old would also not cost an arm and a leg, with Bologna demanding around €15 million, and is keen to move to Old Trafford, unlike Frenkie De Jong. However, the transfer links have enraged the Manchester United fanbase, which is clearly befuddled by their club’s transfer policy so far this summer.
Arnautovic has historically had attitude and temperament issues. There is an air of desperation from Manchester United’s side in this one in the same vein as the Odion Ighalo capture, with the Red Devils evidently not learning from their past mistakes. Whether they will stump up €15 million to bring him to Old Trafford in what would be a contentious gamble remains to be seen.
