Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly eager for his club to seal the transfer of West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic this January.
According to the Daily Mirror, the Red Devils boss is lining up a £50million bid for the Austria international, who he believes could spark his side’s top four challenge back into life.
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Arnautovic has shone in his time at West Ham, and also showed his qualities during his time at previous club Stoke City, but the truth is few United fans will view him as the answer to their current problems.
£50m also seems a huge amount to pay for a player of his calibre, with the striker now 29 and never really looking more than a decent Premier League-level player, perhaps best suited to a mid-table club like West Ham.
It may be that Mourinho is confident he would get the best out of Arnautovic at Old Trafford, but it remains to be seen if such a risky deal would get the backing of the United board.
Mourinho lasting long enough to make signings in January surely also cannot be guaranteed, with MUFC making a poor start to the season and being occasionally linked with a change of manager in recent months.