Man Utd ‘on brink of confirming £26.3m Mkhitaryan swoop’

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Closing in on Man Utd transfer

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Closing in on Man Utd transfer

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is on the verge of completing his move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund, with the two clubs close to agreeing on a £26.3m deal.

The Armenian playmaker is expected to become the third new arrival of the Jose Mourinho era after deals for Eric Bailly last month and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday were already agreed.

A private jet arrived from Dortmund at Manchester Airport at 3.30pm on Friday afternoon, and although the club declined to confirm that the 27–year-old forward was on board, it has widely been reported that the former Shahktar midfielder has been taken to Carrington to put the final touches on the transfer. Multiple sources suggest a deal for the player is imminent, with the Daily Mail claiming it could be finalised by as early as this weekend.

United have courted Mkhitaryan throughout the summer, but despite the player wanting to move to Old Trafford, it was thought a deal would be difficult to agree between all parties after United’s opening offer of around £18million was rejected.

But with Mkhitaryan refusing to sign a new deal at Dortmund, and with only one year remaining on his current deal, the German club faced a dilemma over whether to sell the player.

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After a series of negotiations, it is now reported that the clubs will agrees on a £26.3million deal – amid claims the player was set to part finance the transfer deal himself.

Speaking earlier in the week, Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed that the move was edging towards completion.

“The situation is now different,” he told Bild. “Manchester have made a much improved offer. In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision.”