Transfer news and gossip as Stoke City favourite Marko Arnautovic causes a transfer headache for Inter Milan
After winning Serie A, Inter Milan’s first priority is resolving Marko Arnautovic’s future, and so far, just one club has expressed interest in signing him.
Arnautovic was only 20 years old and was benched by Jose Mourinho despite being a member of the Inter team that won the Champions League in 2010 while on loan from Twente. Before establishing himself as a vital member of Mark Hughes’s offensive unit at Stoke City in the Premier League, he began his career with Werder Bremen.
After leaving Stoke in 2017, he travelled via West Ham, China, and Bologna on his way back to Inter. He is now 35 years old and has spent the last few years mostly on the bench months, but he nevertheless made 32 appearances and scored some important goals, such as the winning goal in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
However, Inter has scheduled 31-year-old Porto forward Mehdi Taremi to replace him, and it appears that they are now actively seeking to let Arnie go. Finding a new place that can both afford him and appeal to him would be the challenge; reportedly, “only one club”—San Siro sources claim Stoke City—could meet both requirements.
Inter Live reports: “Despite encouragement from (manager, Simone) Inzaghi, Inter would like to sell Arnautovic. Nevertheless, no bidders are prepared to put Inter’s finances at least 5 million euros, which is required to prevent a capital loss from being reported.
The United States or Saudi Arabia might be markets for Arnautovic. He appears, meanwhile, to be determined to play “football that matters” even after experiencing what it’s like to be a wealthy exile in China.
“A number of middle-tier and lower-tier clubs in Italy, including the Austrians, struggle with too costly salaries. Only one club in Europe, though, might be willing to make an investment on the 35-year-old. It’s Stoke City here.
“The Austrian, one of the English team’s most crucial and influential players, is adored by the fans of the English team. Stoke is currently mired in mid-table in the Championship, the British second level, and is no longer a top team.
“Is Arnautovic ever going to agree to play in Serie B? As a scenario, it doesn’t seem very plausible. It should be noted, however, that the English club’s wealthy owners, the Coates family, would desire to see the team technically reestablished so that it can rejoin the Premier League as soon as feasible. Arnautovic might be the market-preferred veteran who can be paired with young players and other mid-range players to pursue a promotion.”
Returned to Stoke in March as sporting director, Arnautovic’s longtime friend Jon Walters will oversee all transfers this summer. Even though he is 35 years old, if he were willing, he could easily win the Championship. Stoke has
to follow stringent Financial Fair Play guidelines, but if Arnautovic was interested in a bold late-career endeavour a la Stanley Matthews…
One for the “probably not” column, I think. How about Steven Nzonzi’s phone number, though?
