Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been the subject of interest from Arsenal as part of the Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United but the player if he moves to The Emirates.
Despite initially looking like favourites to sign Sanchez, Manchester City has been gazumped by Manchester United in the queue for the 29-year-old striker, and Mkhitaryan will move in the opposite direction.
When Manchester United signed the 28-year-old from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2016, he was expected to be the “Fabregas figure” for Jose Mourinho.
In 2013/2014 back in his second spell at Chelsea, The Blues struggled to break down opponents who sat deep in their own halves, and they dropped points against teams they should have signed.
Prior to the 2014 World Cup, Mourinho placed a call to Barcelona midfielder, Cesc Fabregas in a bid to tell him about the Chelsea project, with the then 27-year-old signing and delivering one of the best first-year performances of a player in recent years, and helping The Blues win their first league title in 5 years.
Mkhitaryan was highly regarded as one of the best playmakers in world football as he had a remarkable 3-years in Borussia Dortmund as the replacement for Mario Gotze, who had left the banks of the Ruhr for Munich.
The player was exceptional in his time in Germany and was signed for £27m by Jose Mourinho, which felt like a snippet for a player of his quality.
However, his time in England has been fraught with questions about his quality and consistency levels.
Mkhi is a player that thrives on the confidence of his manager, and a move to Arsenal could be the catalyst to remind everybody of his undeniable quality.
Jose Mourinho’s methods often stifle silky players, and his lack of overall work rate on the pitch means that he is not a firm favourite of Jose Mourinho, who prefers all-action players who can perform a role both with and without the ball.
He is reportedly stalling on a deal to Arsenal, as he is worried about the prospect of not playing Champions League football and the Gunners current league position.
Mkhitaryan, under Wenger, will be able to play expressive football that he craves so much and the speculation that the 13-time English champions are closing in on a deal to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who struck a fantastic relationship with the player while at Dortmund.
Arsenal is already planning for life after Wenger and a front line of Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette, and Aubameyang will strike fear into any defense.
For United, it would offer a chance to let a player go that hasn’t been at the best, and also sign a player that can turn them into title contenders instantly.
While Mkhitaryan will have to work hard should he get to North London, his quality will shine through. He couldn’t have become a bad player overnight.
