August 08, (THEWILL) – Bologna has reportedly rejected Manchester United’s €8.5 million (£7.2 million) offer for striker, Marko Arnautovic, though the Red Devils are likely to increase their offer.
They are counting on Arnautovic’s eagerness to move to Old Trafford as the forward is considering asking the Italian club to grant him permission to leave. Manager Erik ten Hag thinks Arnautovic can offer a cheap answer, in what has turned into an emergency situation with United quite weak in supply of central strikers.
The 33-year-old has an excellent working relationship with Ten Hag and his assistant, Steve McClaren, because they both worked together at FC Twente when McClaren was the head coach. The only central striker available to Ten Hag at the moment is Anthony Martial, who has previously expressed a strong desire to leave United. However, Martial has not always performed well in that position and spent the second half of the previous season on loan at Sevilla.
Since Martial is now out with a hamstring injury, Ten Hag, who started Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench against Brighton in their English Premier League opener on Sunday, before introducing the Portuguese striker in place of Fred, is in search of alternatives.
Arnautovic has two years left on his Bologna deal and scored 14 goals in Serie A last season. Of course, the Austrian had previously played for West Ham United and Stoke City in the Premier League before being forced to leave East London to compete in the Chinese Super League. Even if Bologna does not want to sell, Arnautovic may be the most accessible forward option United is considering.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
