Report: Marko Arnautovic rejects initial Stoke City contract offer

Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovic has reportedly rejected the club's initial offer of an improved contract.

The 26-year-old Austrian has just 18 months left on his current contract and Stoke are said to have opened negotiations over a new deal.

However, according to The Guardian, Arnautovic's camp is seeking a deal well above the Potters' wage ceiling.

Arnautovic is Stoke's top scorer with seven goals this term - more than he managed in his first two seasons at the club combined - and has thrived alongside Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan Krkic in a three-pronged frontline in recent months.