Jose Mourinho hints that Henrikh Mkhitaryan could leave Manchester United this month, for the right price, amid links to Arsenal.
Journalists asked Mourinho about the 28-year-old in his pre-match press conference this weekend. The Portuguese manager responded (via Daily Star): “My approach to players is that every player has a price.
“It doesn’t matter who he is, it doesn’t matter the level.
“It doesn’t matter the prestige, the status. I think every player has a price.
“But Mkhitaryan played the last match in the FA Cup and probably will play the next one [against Stoke].
“He’s a little bit the same in relation to other players that are involved in this gossip of the transfer market.”
A report from the Daily Star this week claimed Mourinho offered Wenger a Mkhitaryan-Sanchez swap deal. Reports from the Daily Star, and rumoured swap deals, are almost always nonsense.
Paul Merson was clearly keen on the idea though.
The former Gunner told Sky Sports: “I think selling Sanchez to United and getting Mkhitaryan in return would work. I honestly believe Mkhitaryan is one of the best players in the Premier League, his confidence is just shot at United.
“If Arsenal could get him playing like he was at Borussia Dortmund they would have one of the best players in the league. That would represent a good deal.”
Personally, I’m hesitant to say Arsenal should go for the Armenian.
The player clearly has talent, you could see that last season with his scorpion kick, or this campaign when he assisted five goals in his first three league games. On the other hand, something is clearly holding him back at United, and it’s hard to know what that is.
The problem could be his lack of game time, which is fine. The Gunners could start him more regularly and fix that easily.
Then again, maybe he’s just not comfortable in the Premier League.
Maybe he isn’t confident in his abilities anymore, been destroyed by Mourinho or he’s just not a very consistent performer.
Either way, unless they get Alexis, we’d never get Mkhitaryan and Alexis will most likely go to City.
Arsenal were close to signing him before he moved to United but they blew the Gunners out of the water with their offer