Today Arnautovic's return to Inter Milan after 13 years becomes official

2023-08-16 04:30:00

This morning Marko Arnautovic has to jump the last hurdle at the medical check – then the return to the 19-time Italian soccer champion Inter Milan after 13 years will be fixed. The transfer details have been negotiated: Bologna will receive ten million euros for the 34-year-old striker, Arnautovic will sign until the summer of 2025 and, according to the sports newspaper “Gazzetta dello Sport”, collect 3.7 million euros for the season.

Arnautovic could make his comeback for Inter against Monza on Saturday at the start of Serie A. The Milanese are the bookmakers’ favorite for the championship title. “It’s about competing at the highest level to win titles,” said Danijel Arnautovic, brother and adviser to the 108-time ÖFB team striker, last week, explaining the change request that the club had been told in June – despite a contract until 2025.

Bologna benefited from Inter’s need for action, as the Italian media interpreted the high transfer fee for a 34-year-old. Coach Simone Inzaghi is said to have campaigned heavily for the signing after Milan lost two notable strikers in the summer in Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Edin Dzeko and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, who returned to Chelsea from a loan deal. So far, only Frenchman Marcus Thuram has come as a free transfer from Mönchengladbach. In addition to the seeded world champion Lautaro Martinez, his Argentinian compatriot Joaquin Correa is also available, but he has not yet been able to convince at Inter.

Arnautovic had already made it to Inter: in 2009/10 as a 20-year-old youngster. This season, the northern Italians, under coach Jose Mourinho, won the treble of league, cup and Champions League, although the Austrian, who was injured at the beginning of the season, only made three appearances in Serie A and remained spectators in the Cup and Champions League.

Viennese clubs collect with

A renewed commitment under the current AS Roma coach Mourinho burst because Bologna offered six million euros were not enough. Four of Arnautovic’s former Austrian clubs also collect the ten million euros that Inter is now paying: second division club FAC receives a solidarity contribution of 100,000 euros, Austria Wien 50,000 euros, Rapid and Vienna each 25,000 euros.