Arnautovic admits Stoke saved career, but won’t commit future

Marko Arnautovic: Has a £12.5m release fee in contract

Marko Arnautovic: Has a £12.5m release fee in contract

Marko Arnautovic has thanked Stoke for breathing new life into his career – but has stopped short of committing his future to the club.

The Austrian forward joined the Premier League club in 2013 after three troubled years at Werder Bremen.

Speaking prior to Austria’s international friendly against Albania, the 26-year-old said that it is thanks to the Potters he is enjoying himself once again, whereas he was only on the road to ruin in the Bundesliga.

“The thing is, Stoke City pulled me out of a situation where I was not playing, where I was not happy, and that was in Germany,” he told sport1.de.

“They have breathed new life into me.”

While expressing his gratitude to Stoke for reviving his career, Arnautovic stopped short of committing his long-term future to the club.

“I’ve been here for three years and always performed well and I have told them to speak to my manager, who is my brother, and not with me (about a contract). I want to focus on the season,” he said.

“What happens then, nobody knows. Nobody knows if I will sign a new contract.”

Arnautovic’s current deal with Stoke has a year still to run on it and the player has so far been unable to agree a new deal despite protracted negotiations and amid claims the player has a £12.5million release clause in his current contract.