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MARKO ARNAUTOVIC WAS THE SUBJECT OF INTEREST FROM MANCHESTER UNITED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023 AFTER IMPRESSING IN HIS DEBUT SEASON WITH BOLOGNA IN SERIE A 06:00, 31 May 2025 Marko Arnautovic
once revealed that he turned down an offer from Manchester United, despite the Premier League giants showing significant interest in him. The Inter Milan forward is currently preparing for
the Champions League final this Saturday, where his team will face Paris Saint-Germain. If the Nerazzurri are victorious, it would be Arnautovic's second UCL medal with the Serie A
side, as he was part of their last triumph in the 2009/10 season under Jose Mourinho. The Austria international only played three times during his first stint with Inter, but established
himself in English football during his four-year spell with Stoke City. His consistent performances led to a move to West Ham, where he scored double digits in both seasons he spent in
London before securing a lucrative transfer to Chinese side Shanghai Port. In 2021, Arnautovic returned to Italy with Bologna and, at the age of 33, enjoyed a career-best season, scoring 14
goals in 33 games. He followed this up with 10 goals in 22 games in his second campaign. This form sparked summer interest from United, who had just appointed Erik ten Hag. However, reports
of the forward potentially moving to Old Trafford were not well received by some fans, leading the club to reportedly withdraw their offer, despite having put forward a bid worth
£7.6million. Article continues below Arnautovic's agent clarified that it was the Austrian striker himself who rejected a move to Manchester United, with the player confirming in 2022
to Laola1: "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. "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." Rumours had linked Arnautovic to Old Trafford as a potential replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, due to uncertainties surrounding his future, after the team missed
out on Champions League qualification. Although Ronaldo stayed past the summer, his relationship with manager Ten Hag became strained, culminating in the striker delivering a scathing
interview to Piers Morgan, where he expressed dissatisfaction with his manager's treatment. "He doesn't respect [me] the way I should deserve [to be respected]," said
Ronaldo, citing his early exit from a game against Tottenham as a result of this friction. "But it is what it is. This is why probably, the game against Tottenham, I left.
"Excuses, I see as excuses. I saw many things that, I don't want to criticise him. He can have [a] different opinion than me. They choose the players that they think is better for
the team. I respect that but excuses all the time you know; the excuses have short legs, cannot excuse all the time, which is things that don't make sense." Following a tell-all
interview where he lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes discord, Ronaldo's contract at United was cancelled, allowing him to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in January 2023.
Article continues below Fast-forward to the present day, the 40-year-old might be nearing the end of his stay in Saudi Arabia after hinting about his future with a single social media post.
After Al-Nassr's final match of the campaign - a 3-2 loss to Al-Fateh on May 27 - he took to social media to seemingly post a farewell message: "This chapter is over. The story?
Still being written. Grateful to all."