Man United boss Jose Mourinho ‘preparing £50m bid for West Ham star Marko Arnautovic’… so is that the end for Alexis Sanchez?
Former Stoke forward has five goals in the Premier League this season compared to Sanchez's one and the Red Devils manager may finally try and sign the Austrian
MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly preparing a £50million bid for West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic.
The Red Devils are struggling to find the net and boss Jose Mourinho is understood to want the former Stoke forward to power them into the top four.
Arnautovic, 29, has five goals in the Premier League this season - including one in the 3-1 win at the London Stadium in September - and was a target for United in the summer.
Manchester United did not put a bid in for the Austrian then but according to the , they are now ready to stump up the cash.
The reports suggests Arnautovic's advisers are aware of the interest from Old Trafford and would be keen on a move.
Mourinho and Arnautovic worked together briefly at Inter Milan in the season the Italian giants won the treble in 2009/10.
Latest Manchester United news
And The Special One reckons the forward would be an important catalyst for his "heartless" players in the dressing room.
Speaking during the international break, Arnautovic hinted at his desire to move to a top club.
He said: "I’m 29, so that’s the best age.
"It’s clear that I want to compete with the best players. But in this affair I totally trust my brother."
ARN AND A LEG West Ham to refuse Marko Arnautovic’s ludicrous wage demands as Manchester United circle
Arnautovic's brother Danijel helped negotiate his £25million move from Stoke to the Hammers in 2017 and he could be getting busy with transfer dealings again soon.
He told the Austrian newspaper: "He’s already playing in the Premier League and that’s where the best players are.
"But for a player like Marko this cannot be the end.
"He’s a big part of West Ham’s team but I think it’s possible to tease out more of him.
"For that to happen, he has to play for a top team. Marko is ready for the next step.
"A player like him should not play against relegation. He should play for the international spots."
If Arnautovic did sign for Manchester United, it would throw Alexis Sanchez's future at the club into serious doubt.
Since his January swap with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Chilean, 29, has significantly under-performed despite his £505,000-a-week wages.
He has scored three Premier League goals in a United shirt at a ratio of a goal every 508 minutes. In comparison, Arnautovic has ten goals at a rate of one every 195 minutes.
And Sanchez has been widely tipped to leave United next year after struggling to settle in the north-west.
The forward, according to United team-mates, has been affected by the break-up of his relationship with Chilean actress Mayte Rodriguez.
A move to Real Madrid could be one option but Paris Saint-Germain is the likelier destination come the summer.