Arnautovic available for summer Man Utd transfer

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 14 Mar 2023 06:54 GMT
• 3 min read

Marko Arnautovic is available for transfer this summer and will request a summer exit from Bologna, according to the Corriere di Bologna.

Man Utd tried to sign Arnautovic last summer and could return at the end of this season, with Erik ten Hag a huge fan of the striker.

There are fears the 33-year-old has fallen out with Bologna manager Thiago Motta.

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After returning from injury, Motta has not reinstated Arnautovic as his first-choice striker and the coach even admitted earlier this week that he preferred Joshua Zirkzee.

He was left on the bench again on Saturday evening in the 0-0 draw with Lazio.

Bologna’s top scorer this season with eight goals, Arnautovic will now demand a summer exit.

Man Utd bid for Arnautovic

Man United submitted a bid of €8 million for the 33-year-old Austrian last summer, which was immediately rejected by Bologna.

Arnautovic and his entourage had made it clear that they wanted to make the move but Bologna insisted publicly that they were not prepared to sell.

Nevertheless, Man Utd were expected to increase their offer for the striker as personally requested by manager Ten Hag, who worked with Arnautovic while at Twente.

However, a reported fan campaign demanding that Man Utd did not sign Arnautovic also played a role in the move not going through.

Fans complained that Arnautovic used an anti-Albanian slur at Euro 2020 during Austria’s game against North Macedonia, for which he received a one-match ban from UEFA.

There were also unproved allegations against Arnautovic racially abusing an opponent while at Twente in 2009, which the player himself denied in a social media post.

Arnautovic moved to Bologna in the summer of 2021 after two seasons spent in China.

He scored 14 goals and was arguably the club’s best performer in his first season.

Man Utd are in the market for a new permanent striker following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit.