Manchester United have bid for Marko Arnautovic rejected as club look to bolster striking ranks

Manchester United have seen a bid for ex-West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic rejected, according to Sky Sports.

As if to lay bare their current striking troubles, United’s only goal in their 2-1 Premier League season-opening defeat against Brighton came from an own goal, and with Cristiano Ronaldo potentially on the verge of leaving the club, that could leave them even more blunt up top.

Anthony Martial also missed the Brighton game with injury, while Marcus Rashford did play but spurned two presentable chances and only found the net four times in the Premier League last season.

And so Bologna’s Arnautovic – at a rumoured £7m – could be a cut-price resolution to this issue, with the Austrian knowing United boss Erik ten Hag and assistant Steve McLaren from their collective time at FC Twente.

90min report that Arnautovic and United have discussed personal terms, and that the 33-year-old wants a three-year deal. They also reveal that Bologna are holding out for a fee of £12.7m, while United want to spend no more than £8.4m.

Speaking after the defeat to the Seagulls, Ten Hag was coy on the issue: “I don’t go into names because I think in this pre-season 250 players are involved or linked with Manchester United, so that’s it.

“We have two strikers, maybe a third one, with Rashford as well.

“We considered him as a striker but he had a really good pre-season on the left side and today he had two really good chances coming in from the left side.

“So I think it was the right decision to do it like this. But the typical No 9 wasn’t available today.”

Arnautovic has experience of playing in the Premier League from six years with Stoke City and West Ham – four at the former and two at the latter – with a best return of 11 top-flight goals in a season.