Chelsea defender says Arnautovic is too good for Stoke City

Marko Arnautovic has been a big hit at Stoke City but according to one Premier League defender, he is too good to be playing for the Potters.

Arnautovic joined the Premier League side from German club Werder Bremen in the summer of 2013 for a fee of around just £2m.

And it has proved to be an incredible piece of business for Stoke as the Austria international has been a star during his 119 appearances in all competitions, scoring 21 goals.

The 27-year-old’s talent has been evident from a young age, having joined Inter Milan on loan from FC Twente at the age of just 20.

Branislav Ivanovic and Marko Arnautovic compete for the ball back in 2014. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

And according to Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, who lined up against Arnautovic on Sunday for Serbia, the Stoke star deserves to be playing for a bigger club.

Speaking before Sunday’s clash, Ivanovic said: “I have the utmost respect for Arnautovic because he has matured in the last year and a half or two.

“He has drawn a lot of attention here [in Serbia] because of his heritage (he has a Serbian father) and in footballing terms, he has perhaps improved beyond the quality of the club he plays for.”