Manchester United will not sign Marko Arnautovic this summer, according to reports, with 'complaints from fans' and his overall price tag seen as factors behind the decision.
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Following their opening day defeat against Brighton, it emerged that United had submitted a £6.8 million bid for former West Ham and Stoke forward Arnautovic, who currently plays for Serie A outfit Bologna.
That bid, however, was swiftly rejected by the Italian side.
An improved offer was expected, despite the overwhelmingly negative response from fans, but after days of uncertainty, it now appears United have pulled out of a deal to sign the player.
The Athletic report that the club received a number of complaints from fans about the idea of signing the Austrian forward, including a complaint from Michael Damevski.
Damevski, who is of North Macedonian descent, penned a message to United questioning how signing Arnautovic would correspond to the club’s zero tolerance approach to racism.
Last year, the Austria forward was handed a one-match ban after he used an alleged anti-Albanian slur during his country's clash against North Macedonia at Euro 2020.
Marko Arnautovic joins the party! 🥳
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 13, 2021
💌 Signed, sealed and delivered: three points for #AUT #ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/4t8qB5dMtV
UEFA launched an investigation and found the 33-year-old forward guilty of 'insulting another player'.
The report from The Athletic goes on to confirm that a member of staff at Manchester United replied to Damevski’s concerns and they were noted.
They also claim several fans had sent emails to chief executive Richard Arnold about the transfer.
Excl: Manchester United pull out of Marko Arnautovic pursuit.
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 9, 2022
Bologna pricing player out of low-cost bracket + complaints from fans seen as contributing factors.
Onto other attacking targets now.
Adrien Rabiot moving closer in €20m deal.#MUFC https://t.co/3yLfgJDq5I
In addition to the complaints, Bologna insisted Arnautovic was not for sale after the £6.8 million bid was rejected.
United would have needed to spend more to complete the signing, and that fact 'reduced the appeal' of signing the former West Ham striker, who made 184 Premier League appearances during his time in England.
With just over three weeks until the window shuts, the club will now look elsewhere for attacking targets.
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Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Premier League
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