It is fair to say that Manchester United’s pursuit of former Stoke and West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic has left many fans a touch underwhelmed.
He may be able to do it on a wet Wednesday in the Potteries but a Manchester United player? Do us a favour seems to be the general feeling. The fact, too, that the club are hot on the heels of Adrien Rabiot, who Juventus are happy to move on, has hardly set pulses racing at Old Trafford.
Again, a good player but is he a material improvement on what United already have? Possibly. Possibly not. This, however, is the reality of the situation that Erik ten Hag finds himself in and means these are the kind of deals he will have to strike. Guesses and marginal calls.
To be fair to the Dutchman it’s probably not what he had in mind when he agreed to join either. Yet such is life at Old Trafford nowadays. No Champions League football, no coherent long-term strategy and bouncing from one kneejerk decision to the next. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville laughed when it was put to him that the club were pursuing the Austria international at London Stadium on Sunday.
“Radamel Falcao, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Odion Ighalo desperate. It’s a pattern and it’s happening time and time again,” he spluttered. He might well have added Cristiano Ronaldo to that mix given the impact he has had on United’s dressing room and planning over the last 18 months.
Club sources have stressed Arnautovic, 33, is being considered as a back up option – United have had a £7.5million bid knocked back by Bologna – and clearly Rabiot is being courted on account of the diminishing prospect of landing No.1 target Frenkie De Jong.
Yet does either player materially improve what United have already which incidentally, in case anyone missed their opening match against Brighton, is a team who look a million miles away from qualifying for the Champions League. It is a lack of decisive action in the transfer market that seems to be the trouble. Where Manchester City and Liverpool are sure-footed and strategic, United shift uncomfortably from one to the other, unsure of what they are attempting and happy to grab whatever player spins round on the carousel in front of them.
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Arnautovic and Rabiot look prime examples. It seems staggering that United are still holding out hope that De Jong will join given the length of time they have pursued him. Unbelievable they have not hit Barcelona and the player with an offer that he can’t refuse and if he does just walk.
It is equally staggering that they are still unsure about what to do about Ronaldo who wants out. Surely if a player wants out he is best out, whatever it costs. Instead he simmers in the background, upsetting the dressing room and undermining Ten Hag’s authority.
And it seems staggering that they are banking on Anthony Martial, a player who they could not wait to get out on loan last season, as their best case striking solution – a player who struggles for long term fitness and does not score enough goals. In that sense a move for Arnautovic makes some sense but only a little.
