Why Man Utd will have to settle for a second-class striker like Arnautovic
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 8 Aug 2022 17:19 BST
- 4 min read
Marko Arnautovic is the latest forward that Manchester United have set their sights on as Erik ten Hag attempts to reconstruct and resurrect a fallen giant.
The Red Devils were the cream of the crop in the early years of the Premier League, but since Sir Alex Ferguson's exit, they have failed to win the top flight and have regressed to a point whereby the 2021-22 season was their worst since the competition was formed in 1992.
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After a period of instability under the interim stewardship of Ralf Rangnick, Ajax head coach Ten Hag was brought in to steady the ship and oversee the revival of an underperforming squad.
However, a wave of free transfer departures left the team in need of reinforcements, with Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez all arriving.
But, Edinson Cavani's exit, Anthony Martial's injury and Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave the club has left Man Utd in need of forward talent; options on the market, however, are limited.
Darwin Nunez, Erling Haaland, Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison are among the strikers to move clubs this summer, while the likes of Tammy Abraham, Victor Osimhen and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have seemingly been priced out of a move.
As a result, Man Utd have been forced to turn to other options, with Bologna's former Stoke and West Ham forward Arnautovic the latest player to enter the fray as a transfer target.
The Athletic have reported that Man Utd are interested in bringing the Austrian back to the Premier League, while Sky Italy say that a bid of around €9 million has been rejected by Bologna.
Man Utd can't attract top quality strikers
With Ronaldo still at the club, no true quality forward will want to join as a back-up role would likely beckon, which isn't ideal with the World Cup approaching.
Although the Portugal international has stressed he wishes to leave, suitors are limited and he remains a Man Utd player for the time being. As a result, acquiring a truly elite striker will be a tricky task.
In addition to that, Man Utd's lack of Champions League football is the reason why Ronaldo wants to leave, and it's also a reason why other stars won't want to join.
While playing in the Europa League is no mean feat, the Champions League is a player's dream and attracting a world class number nine is nearly impossible without being able to offer Europe's elite club competition.
Arnautovic may not be an inspired choice - he scored 43 goals in 184 Premier League appearances for Stoke and West Ham - but he netted 14 Serie A goals last season, just two shy of Gianluca Scamacca's tally for Sassuolo, who joined West Ham for £30.5m this summer.
Furthermore, Man Utd may not be able to attract a player of much higher quality than Arnautovic, and after their performance against Brighton, it's clear to see that more summer signings are needed.
The disarray of their opening day loss to Graham Potter's men will have highlighted the problems that exist and will not only put players off joining, but also drive up the asking price put on the heads of the club's transfer targets.
Marko Arnautovic may have to be the big summer signing that Man Utd fans have to sttle for.
