Bologna director of football Marco Di Vaio has claimed it was Marko Arnautovic that pulled the plug on his move to Manchester United - and not the other way around.
The 33-year-old emerged as a target for the Red Devils, with Erik ten Hag looking to add options to the striking department. It is believed United saw a bid in the region of £8million knocked back for Arnautovic, before the pursuit was shelved.
Following the collapse, sources from the United side claimed they completed a U-turn due to a vociferous backlash from supporters. Arnautovic has twice been forced to deny allegations of racism, most recently at Euro 2020.
During the tournament last summer, Arnautovic was accused of using an anti-Albanian slur during Austrias match vs North Macedonia. After that incident, Arnautovic denied any allegation that he was a racist having also denied allegations in 2009 that he had racially abused an opponent while playing for FC Twente.
That prompted a number of United fans to email the club directly to outline their opposition to his signing. It was understood that prompted Old Trafford bosses to backtrack on their plans, but Di Vaio has suggested that narrative is false.
Arnautovic is the current top scorer in Serie A with six goals in seven games and the Bologna chief claimed he turned down the chance of a Premier League return to be the main man at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
“We did great work with Marko. We’ve always highlighted how much we trust him,” Di Vaio told Il Corriere Dello Sport. “ Juventus never made a direct request, United did.
“United didn’t retire from the race because of their fans, but only because Arnautovic understood how important he was for Bologna’s project. He behaved like a true champion, understanding what he meant to Bologna as a city and a club.
“He’s a point of reference on and off the pitch. I was surprised by his involvement. He is helping young players. He has an ‘English’ approach. He always gives his all.”
Despite Arnautovic’s hot start to the season, Bologna have managed to pick up just six points from seven games - a return deemed unsatisfactory by the striker.
“I don’t care about being the best scorer, but surely I am happy to have scored six of Bologna’s seven goals,” Arnautovic said whilst on international duty with Austria. “I always think about the team and six points in seven games are not a good result. We have bigger ambitions and we must prove it on the pitch.
“In general, we’ve wasted too many chances, I am not the coach and I won’t start complaining about the team, we win and lose together.”
The slow start to the season saw manager Sinisa Mihajlovic replaced by Thiago Motta, a decision which caused outrage in Italy with the Serbian battling Leukaemia for the second time.
“His sacking was a bitter moment for me,” Arnautovic added. “I have a special rapport with him. He was more than a coach, he was like a friend, an older brother.
"As a team, we lived the last few months staying by his side, but life goes on for all of us. I hope things will improve for him, returning the same as before.”
