Arnautovic, Milan votes yes: strong, not expensive and can be achieved effortlessly

Luca Bianchin-Matteo Dalla Vite

April 27th
– Milan

Connect the dots. Mourinho’s phrase, thinking back to the first meeting with Marko Arnautovic: “My forwards were Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Cruz and Crespo. He shook my hand and told me to be stronger than everyone.” Phrase by Arnautovic, at Christmas 2022: “The strongest center forwards are Messi, Benzema and Mbappé. The fourth is Giroud”. Ibra, the model of a lifetime, and Giroud, the best of the terrestrial players: Arnautovic’s favorites play for Milan and he too has the chance to wear the Rossoneri.

The attack

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The market track is still in its early stages, because Milan haven’t spoken to Bologna. However, there is something. An exploratory contact, certainly the technical approval. Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara consider Arnautovic a strong striker and Milan’s attack will change. Giroud has renewed but Origi has disappointed a lot, Rebic is very far from the performance of two years ago and Ibra has only played 144 minutes in Serie A. Zlatan’s contract is about to expire but Origi and Rebic can also leave. And the offensive revolution, a secondary requirement a few months ago, is a priority.

Thiago and I

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Arnautovic’s situation in Bologna is rapidly evolving. The relationship with Thiago Motta, between benches, exchanges of jokes, an applause for the unwelcome referee and clarifications, never fully took off, given that in his first 10 games as Bologna coach Arna was the owner in eight. Motta has always asked a lot of Marko, by virtue of the Mottiana Democracy: for Thiago they are all the same and he doesn’t count the surname or the past but what you give in training. Arna has been injured since 4 January (two sections apart) and his return will be postponed again. The feeling today is that one of the two will change city at the end of the year. So how much would Arnautovic cost for Milan? Less than five million.

3 million

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Arnautovic arrived at Bologna in 2021 for 3.5 million. He returned from China as an eternal unfinished business. Instead, in Bologna he first scored a record 15 goals, then he experienced an autumn as top scorer, before injuries held him back. And then, the conditions for the handshake are there. Bologna would lose an important player but also a heavy contract, worth 3 million net per season. Arnautovic would close on top. Milan would take a tip of 34 years but would have a guarantee of 9, physical permitting. To which, if budget and outgoings allow, he could support a young 9. In short, the history of the AC Milan market remains to be written but Marko Arnautovic, a former bad boy, Balotelli’s former partner in the evenings, now a family man and gin producer, has a chance.