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Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic has claimed both Ronald Koeman and Romelu Lukaku tried to convince him to join Everton last summer.

The Blues were interested in the Austria international but he chose to accept a lucrative new contract offer with the Potters.

Arnautovic became Stoke’s best paid player when he put pen to paper on a new deal said to be worth around £80,000 a week.

“Ronald Koeman tried to persuade me to move to Everton. Romelu Lukaku also phoned me to ask if I would join them, and I found that a great honour,” Arnautovic reportedly told SportMagazin in his homeland.

“But nonetheless I rang Mark Hughes and told him: ‘Get the paperwork ready – I’ll extend my stay with Stoke.’

“They had put a lot of faith in me, and rescued me from Germany. Werder Bremen was a bad place for me, and I had to leave them.

“Stoke took me on, and my career took off with them. I thought to myself – it’s a place where everything suits me, so why not stay put?

“Stoke wanted to make me their best-paid player. Talks took place, and in the end everyone was happy.

“Okay, I don’t know how satisfied Stoke were – but I certainly was!”

Arnautovic, 28, has scored seven goals in 28 appearances for Stoke this season.