Mark Hughes 'desperate' for Marko Arnautovic to stay at Stoke City

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has urged Marko Arnautovic to reject outside interest and remain at the Britannia.

A report on Friday afternoon claimed that the 26-year-old has a buy-out clause in the region of £12.5m.

It is understood that a number of clubs are monitoring the attacker with a view to a move this summer, but Hughes has called on the Austrian to continue representing the Potters.

"From my point of view it's clear that we want Marko to stay here and I think he's best served staying here," Hughes told reporters. "He's obviously going to get a lot of interest because he's a good player, but sometimes you've got to look beyond that."

Arnautovic, who joined Stoke from Werder Bremen in 2013, has scored seven times and registered four assists in 22 Premier League appearances this season.