Following their victory as Serie A winners, Inter Milan’s primary priority for the summer is resolving Marko Arnautovic’s situation, and just one team has been mentioned as a possible candidate. Although Arnautovic was only 20 years old and was benched by Jose Mourinho, he had been a member of Inter’s 2010 Champions League-winning side while on loan from Twente. He began his career with Werder Bremen and later became an important member of Mark Hughes’s attacking group at Stoke City in the Premier League. He moved on from Stoke in 2017 and returned to Inter via Bologna, China, and West Ham. At thirty-five years old, he has spent the last few years primarily on the bench.
However, Inter has scheduled 31-year-old Porto forward Mehdi Taremi to replace him, and it appears that they are now actively seeking to let Arnie go. Finding a new place that can both afford him and appeal to him will be the challenge; reportedly, “only one club”—Stoke City—could be able to meet both criteria.Despite Simone Inzaghi, the manager, encouraging remarks, Inter would prefer to sell Arnautovic. Nevertheless, no bidders are prepared to put Inter’s finances at least 5 million euros, which is required to prevent a capital loss from being reported.
The United States or Saudi Arabia might be markets for Arnautovic. He appears, meanwhile, to be determined to play “football that matters” even after experiencing what it’s like to be a wealthy exile in China. “A number of middle-tier and lower-tier clubs in Italy, including the Austrians, struggle with too costly salaries. Only one club in Europe, though, might be willing to make an investment on the 35-year-old. It’s Stoke City here. “The Austrian, one of the English team’s most crucial and influential players, is adored by the fans of the English team. Stoke is currently mired in mid-table in the Championship, the British second level, and is no longer a top team.
“Is Arnautovic ever going to agree to play in Serie B? As a scenario, it doesn’t seem very plausible. It should be noted, however, that the English club’s wealthy owners, the Coates family, would desire to see the team technically reestablished so that it can rejoin the Premier League as soon as feasible. Arnautovic might be the market-preferred veteran who can be paired with young players and other mid-range players to pursue a promotion.”
Returned to Stoke in March as sporting director, Arnautovic’s longtime friend Jon Walters will oversee all transfers this summer. Even though he is 35 years old, if he were willing, he could easily win the Championship. Financial Fair Play regulations must be followed by Stoke, but if Arnautovic had his sights set on a late-career endeavor akin to Stanley Matthews’… One for the “probably not” column, I think. How about Steven Nzonzi’s phone number, though?