Manchester United have ‘all but ruled out’ signing Marko Arnautovic in January having previously been interested in the veteran back in the summer, according to reports. Erik ten Hag wants his side to land a new forward when the transfer window reopens next month. However, it appears that will be easier said than done as they look to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United saw Ronaldo leave last month and they’ve also missed out on Cody Gakpo, with the Netherlands international moving to Liverpool instead.
And with the Red Devils on the lookout for a new No 9, many names are being linked.
Back in the summer, United eyed a deal for Arnautovic at a time where the Glazers were penny-pinching behind the scenes - much to the dismay of the club’s supporters.
When it comes to landing the Austria international in January, however, ESPN claim the Red Devils have ‘all but ruled out’ reviving their pursuit.
Upon news of United’s interest surfacing back in the summer, many fans made it clear they wouldn’t tolerate the controversial character rocking up at their club.
Manchester United won't be signing Marko Arnautovic in the January transfer window (Image: GETTY)
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There’s Joao Felix, of Atletico Madrid, though it would mean the club spending big on a loan fee - with the La Liga side also unwilling to include the option of a permanent deal.
Rafael Leao, the impressive AC Milan forward, is also a target but there’s little chance the Scudetto holders would let him leave midway through the campaign.
Alvaro Morata came close to joining United back in the summer transfer window of 2017, only for Romelu Lukaku to arrive instead.
Yet given he’s now a regular at Atletico in Spain, it’s hard to see him moving to the Premier League as well - especially given his difficult stint at Chelsea earlier in his career.
History seems to be repeating itself at United, with the club in a similar position nearly three years ago.
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Manchester United were linked with Marko Arnautovic back in the summer transfer window (Image: GETTY)
Back in 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted a new marksman having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku following his exit to Inter Milan.
Several names, ranging from Josh King to Teemu Pukki, were linked at the time.
Yet United then moved for Odion Ighalo instead, with the Nigeria international fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for his favourite club.
Ighalo didn’t exactly set pulses racing during his time at Old Trafford but he did well enough, scoring five goals before returning to Shanghai Shenhua.
And who United end up recruiting remains to be seen.
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Manchester United want a new striker following Cody Gakpo transfer failure (Image: GETTY)
Speaking back in November, meanwhile, Arnautovic shed light on United’s interest and insisted he opted to stay at Bologna despite their desire to bring him in.
“Manchester United tried to sign me several times and it was a difficult decision to stay in Italy because my family wanted to return to England," he told Austrian publication Laola1.
“For me it’s clear that the Red Devils remain at the top of the universe and Bologna, as a name, are not. But that’s fine.
“Here everything is calm, you have time for yourself and no stress. This is only good for me.”