Report: Marko Arnautovic rejects initial offer to extend Stoke City contract

Stoke City will have to return with a better offer if it has any chance of locking up Marko Arnautovic to a new long-term deal.

The team's leading scorer has apparently rejected Stoke's initial contract offer, with negotiations coming to a standstill as Arnautovic holds out for an offer that will make him the team's highest-paid player, according to John Percy of The Telegraph.

Such an offer would have to exceed the team-record £70,000 paid to Xherdan Shaqiri on a weekly basis.

Adding to Stoke's headache are reports that Arnautovic is holding out for a contract comparable to Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whom the Austrian has been compared to since arriving at the Britannia Stadium from Werder Bremen in 2013.

His demands, according to Percy, have forced Stoke to take a step back from negotiations with the intention of returning to the bargaining table later in the month.

Arnautovic leads the club with seven league goals this season, including important goals in victories against Manchester City and Manchester United.