Marko Arnautovic’s agent has claimed the Bologna striker was the one to turn down a move to Manchester United this summer, rather than the Premier League club pulling out of the deal.
Man United were linked with a move for Arnautovic during the summer window as they searched for a forward and had a bid of £7.6m rejected for the striker by Bologna before they put a halt to pursuing the former Stoke City star, reported Sky Sports.
The reason United are said to have pulled out of any potential deal for Arnautovic was because of the backlash the club received from fans and former players of the club, as the 33-year-old was a controversial choice due to him not being of the standard the Old Trafford faithful expect coming through United’s door.
Weeks later, Arnautovic’s agent has claimed that the Bologna striker was the one to turn down a move to Man United this summer, not the other way around.
When asked about the transfer rumours regarding Man United, Arnautovic’s agent Tiziano Pasquali told Gianluca di Marzio: “Yes, Juventus and Manchester United had come forward.
“From the English, we had received a written proposal, and the negotiations had continued even after some contrary opinions from their fans.
“But in the end, it was Marko who chose not to drag it out too long and to stay at Bologna. How can you think that he is now in a bad way?”
This is an interesting revelation as it essentially means that if the striker wanted the move, it is highly likely that he would be in a Man United shirt right now.
At the time, there was indeed backlash over the deal from United fans and therefore, it would have been interesting to see the reaction had the transfer gone through.