Manchester United have ditched their interest in Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic after an initial offer was rejected – and the move prompted a fierce backlash from their support.
The club made a bid for the 33-year-old Austria international over the weekend but it was rejected, and Manchester United’s transfer committee deemed any move would not make financial sense at higher than their initial £8million valuation.
The potential transfer had also sparked significant opposition from supporters, with CEO Richard Arnold receiving emails from fans who were upset with signing a player with a past that includes accusations of discriminatory behaviour.
It always looked like a panic move from the club, although Arnautovic had played under both Steve McClaren and Ten Hag previously and was never seen as a first-choice option. Instead he would have been an experienced back up – but that plan has been ripped up.
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Instead the Red Devils are weighing up a move for PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, are looking to tie up a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and continue to push for a resolution in the long-running Frenkie de Jong saga.
The club have faced significant criticism about both their recruitment policy and lack of strategy after Erik ten Hag fielded an opening day side that bore more than a passing resemblance to the team that were such a let-down last season.
The Red Devils have been looking to overhaul their creative options all summer but have hit a roadblock with De Jong, with Barcelona refusing to honour the terms of his contract. An outline agreement on his fee has been agreed with the Catalans but there has been no progress for weeks – although Manchester United are not prepared to give up on the deal entirely.
Instead they will concentrate their efforts this week on clinching a deal for Rabiot, who is understood to be one of Ten Hag’s top picks. The Juventus midfielder, who can fill in as a number six, is keen on playing in the Premier League and spoke to the Manchester United manager on Monday to express his interest in the move.
The club believe that by the end of the transfer window the starting XI will have a very different look. They also retain an interest in Ajax’s forward Antony and Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, while i understands scouts watched Lille’s highly-rated Jonathan David at the end of last season.
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They head to Brentford on Saturday looking to make up for the Brighton defeat before they host Liverpool on Monday 22 August.
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