Sky Sports has reported that Manchester United have had a £7.6 million (€9m) bid for Marko Arnautovic rejected by Bologna.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is keen on reinforcing his attack this summer. The former Ajax manager has a paucity of resources with only Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial as his two recognised strikers. The former is looking to leave Old Trafford while the latter’s injury record is a cause for concern.
The Guardian has reported that Arnautovic would cost United around £10 million. The Austrian striker netted 14 times for Bologna in Serie A last season and has a contract until 2024 with the Greyhounds.
ten Hag wants to reunite with his former pupil in Antony at Old Trafford but Ajax are not keen on parting ways with the Brazilian this summer and are therefore playing hardball in the negotiations.
So far, Man United have struggled in the transfer window with deals for Frenkie de Jong and Antony not moving ahead as one would have expected. The Dutchman still remains a priority target for United but the player has no intentions of leaving Barcelona this summer.
Ten Hag has so far only managed to sign Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez this summer.
Our View
Ronaldo is looking to leave Manchester United at this stage of his career as the Portuguese forward is keen on playing in the UEFA Champions League. If Ronaldo leaves, Arnautovic will be a good short-term option to replace the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker.
The 33-year-old is an experienced striker and has previously played in the Premier League for Stoke City and West Ham United. For the former he has made 145 appearances, scoring 26 times while for the latter he has found the net 22 times from 65 appearances.
To get someone of his quality and experience for a bargain fee of £10 million would be a good business, especially considering the way United have struggled to make progress in the market this summer.
Arnautovic can play as second fiddle to Martial, who could be ten Hag’s striker of choice for this campaign. However, it remains to be seen if United will return with a second offer to sign the Bologna striker.
