Report: Marko Arnautovic set to leave Stoke City for £12.5 million

Enjoying a career-defining campaign at the Britannia Stadium, Austrian winger Marko Arnautovic could reportedly leave Stoke City in the summer for a relatively meager £12.5-million fee.

Arnautovic, 26, signed a four-year deal for a fee of £2 million with the Potters in 2013 after joining from Werder Bremen. The Telegraph's John Percy reports that Arnautovic's contract includes a buyout clause set at £12.5 million, which he could trigger in July.

The Austrian international has been Stoke's most consistent source of goals this season, coupling seven tallies with four assists in 22 Premier League matches. His rejuvenation has been as startling as Stoke's form, as the defensive-minded rugby tactics of Tony Pulis' tenure have been replaced by Mark Hughes' flair and attacking impetus.

Even with speculation concerning the angular attacker's future at Stoke, the club appears set on retaining his services, with Percy reporting contract negotiations are underway - though the two sides are miles apart on salary expectations.

"As with all negotiations, usually agents go in high and we go in low and somewhere in the future we get to the middle ground and something gets done," Hughes told The Telegraph.

"Sometimes they take longer than others, but as always we are very hopeful that Marko will be a big part of what we are doing moving forward and I think that's what he would like."

With Xherdan Shaqiri and new boy Giannelli Imbula on £70,000 a week, Arnautovic is hoping to match the wages of his two teammates.