Man United launch shock £6.8m bid for former West Ham and Stoke striker Marko Arnautovic as Erik ten Hag turns to the veteran to add to his attacking options… with Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford remaining uncertain
- Manchester United are showing an interest in signing Marko Arnautovic
- Arnautovic previously played for Stoke and West Ham in the Premier League
- Erik ten Hag wants to bolster his side’s attack before the summer window ends
- United could still lose Cristiano Ronaldo before the end of the transfer window
Manchester United are interested in signing former West Ham and Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic.
Erik ten Hag has added defenders Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia along with creative midfielder Christian Eriksen to his squad this summer, but he has been unable to strengthen his front line yet.
Ten Hag wants to rectify this, and has turned his attention to Arnautovic.
Manchester United are keen on signing Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic
Erik ten Hag wants to strengthen his team’s front line before the end of the transfer window
During his previous spells in England, Arnautovic demonstrated his ability to play out wide or through the middle, and Sportsmail understands that his versatility makes him an appealing option for United, while he is also expected to be inexpensive.
The Red Devils have submitted an €8million (£6.8m) offer for the Bologna striker.
After United’s 2-1 loss to Brighton, manager Erik ten Hag admitted he needs more forwards in his squad and didn’t have ‘a typical No 9 available today’.
‘I don’t go into names and I think in this pre-season maybe 250 players are involved or linked with Man United, so that’s it. We have two strikers, maybe a third one, with Rashford as well.
‘We considered him as a striker but he had a really good pre-season on the left side and today he had two really good chances coming in from the left side, so I think it was the right decision to play like this, but the typical No 9 wasn’t available today.’
United’s need to bring in another attacker has become more pressing in recent weeks following the news that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the club.
The Portuguese star missed the team’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, and his future remains uncertain after he was left on the bench for United’s opening game of the season against Brighton on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo has told the club that he wants to leave and he still may get his wish
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial – who impressed in pre-season – is currently ruled out with a hamstring problem, which forced ten Hag to play Bruno Fernandes as a central striker against Graham Potter’s men.
Ten Hag and his assistant Steve McClaren have worked with Arnautovic before, as the Austrian played under the pair at Dutch side FC Twente when he was making his way in senior football.
Arnautovic went on to play 184 Premier League games in his time at Stoke and West Ham, although he has not featured in England’s top flight since 2019.
The 33-year-old finished as Bologna’s top scorer last term, netting 14 Serie A goals for the Italian side.
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