Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic has said Manchester United were too broke to afford him five years ago when they first expressed interest in his signature.
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The Austrian was one of the Premier League stars before he moved to the money-spinning Chinese league in 2019.
He was a pivotal player for Stoke City and West Ham United, but he made a move to China. He attracted interest from Jose Mourinho, who was United coach at the time, but the deal fell through.
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But Arnautovic has now revealed that Mourinho’s plans to sign him were scuppered by United’s move for Paul Pogba.
He has claimed that the Red Devils didn’t have money left to sign him, having splashed out more than £80 million on Pogba.
“He already knows. He wanted me when I was at West Ham. He asked me: ‘How much does it cost?’ And I said: ‘Ah, do you still want me?’
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“But his Manchester United had already bought Pogba and they did not have enough money for me,” Arnautovic told Gazzetta dello Sport.