Former West Ham United and Stoke City forward Marko Arnautovic has revealed Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him but Manchester United's deal for Paul Pogba meant they couldn't afford him.
In 2018, MEN Sport reported that Mourinho had been in the stands in Innsbruck to watch Arnautovic feature for Austria. At the time, the Reds were looking for a back-up option for Romelu Lukaku and the Premier League forward was an option.
However, a move never materialised. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport's Sportweek, the Bologna man explained why he believes the deal fell through.
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"He wanted me when I was at West Ham," the 33-year-old explained. "He told me: 'How much do you cost?' I was like: 'So, do you still want me?'
"However, his Manchester United side had bought Paul Pogba and didn’t have enough money for me." Pogba joined United in 2016, while Arnautovic was at the Hammers between 2017 and 2019.
United revisited Arnautovic as an option to strengthen their forward line but the move for the Austrian was met with widespread criticism from supporters. The Reds would go on to pull out of the deal but the player's agent, Tiziano Pasquali, claimed his client pulled out of the transfer.
He told Gianluca Di Marzio in October: "Yes, Juventus and Manchester United had come forward. From the English we had received a written proposal, and the negotiations had continued even after some contrary opinions from their fans.
"But in the end, it was Marko who chose not to drag it out too long and to stay at Bologna. How can you think that he is now in a bad way?"
Arnautovic has scored eight goals in 15 appearances for Bologna this season and while it is unlikely that the Reds will return with another bid for the Austrian, Erik ten Hag is on the lookout for a striker to add strength to his forward options following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
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