As the morning sun dawned on June 27th, Beijing time, the
European cup (e.g. soccer)
The second round of the 1/8 finals was in full swing, with Austria failing to qualify for the last 8 in a 1-2 loss and Italy advancing. After the match, the players who are now playing for
China Super League (soccer league)
Shanghai Harbour FC's Austrian international striker Arnaud Arnautovic has revealed that the next part of his soccer career might set foot in Italy. Soon after, Italian media sources let slip on social media platforms that Arnaud would join Serie A club Bologna as a free agent. However, according to the latest news from Beijin-Beijing Headlines, as of now, Arnautovic remains a player of the harbor club.
In today's soccer world, there is an extreme focus on regularity and rigor in both work and amateur matches. Domestic clubs are expected to remain cautious when dealing with matters such as player transfers, and to strictly abide by the spirit of the contract, the rules and the law in order to safeguard their own rights and interests. From the current situation, Arnautovic's possibility of returning to work in China is extremely low due to the impact of the epidemic and the fact that he is representing the national team in the World Qualification Tournament, among other factors. However, Harbour Club's handling of him is fully justified in accordance with procedures and rules. Even if Arnautovic were to move on, the club would be entitled to seek a reasonable transfer fee in order to minimize its losses.
Rumors of Arnautovic's transfer have spread rapidly since his return to Europe to prepare for the Europa League. After the start of the Europa League, there was even news that Arnautovic had signed a three-year contract with Bologna FC with an annual salary of up to 2.7 million euros.
After Austria were eliminated by Italy in the 1/8 finals, Arnautovic had stated that his next stop could be Italy, even though he is still a Harbour Club player. On June 28, Beijing time, an Italian media source claimed that Arnautovic has terminated his contract with Harbour Club and will join FC Bologna as a free agent.
However, a report by Beijin-Beijing Headline Reporter 29 states that as of now, Arnautovic is still a signed player of Harbour Club. There has been no official statement as to whether he will move to another club.
Publicly available information shows that Arnautovic moved to then Shanghai Harbour FC in the 2019 season, with both parties under contract until the end of 2022. In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he made 35 appearances for Harbour FC, scoring 17 goals. This season, he has only made 4 appearances for Seaport, scoring 3 goals. As of now, he has yet to win any championship honors for Seaport.
Of course, the outside world understands Arnautovic's intention to leave the harbor. Affected by the epidemic, Arnautovic had been unable to join his family for long periods of time last season and this season, so it's not hard to understand his tearful press conference before the Europa League match to express his homesickness.
Will Arnautovic return after the Euros?
China Super League (soccer league)
? As things stand, this possibility is so remote as to be almost negligible. There are several reasons for this: firstly, due to the epidemic, Arnautovic will need to go through a necessary quarantine period upon his return to China, and by the time he is released from the quarantine, the latter stages of the Chinese Super League may have already started. Secondly, according to the current plan of the CFA and the preparatory team of the working league, the Chinese Super League will complete the remaining nine rounds of the first phase on August 12th. Subsequently, the league will be temporarily suspended in September, October and November due to the national team's preparation and participation in the Top 12 tournament. Furthermore, Arnautovic is personally homesick and has always sought the possibility of returning to Europe to play soccer. As the saying goes, "a twisted melon is not sweet", if the player is determined to leave, the club is afraid that he will not be forced to stay.
However, regardless of the way the transfer takes place, Arnautovic needs to respect the club and the contract and abide by the rules and laws. As Arnautovic is currently a player of Harbour Club, it is not possible for him to move as a free agent unless Harbour Club agrees.
Back in the day, the Harbour Club had brought in Arnautovic from West Ham United FC for a whopping fee of over €20 million. Nowadays, rumors about his impending free transfer to Bologna seem illogical in any case.
Prior to this, a number of internationally renowned stars, including Carrasco, Paulinho, Talisca, Xavi, and Hamsik, have left the Chinese working soccer scene. Although the circumstances of their respective transfers varied, it is a fact that the relevant Chinese Super League clubs suffered huge financial losses for their transfers. Therefore, when the rumors of Arnautovic's transfer came out, many fans have already called on Chinese Super League clubs to "stick to the bottom line of rules and contracts" in managing foreign aid. From the current situation, even if Arnautovic is determined to move, the new owner will need to pay the necessary transfer fee to the harbor.
