Manchester United see £19m bid for Henrikh Mkhitaryan rejected by Borussia Dortmund as Germans look to keep star player
Arsenal target has told Thomas Tuchel he wants to leave this summer but midfielder could be forced to see out contract
BORUSSIA DORTMUND have rejected a bid from Manchester United for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to reports.
The Armenia international has told his club that he wants to leave this summer after refusing to sign a new contract.
Mkhitaryan has just one year left on his current deal and wants a fresh challenge after Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan both moved on.
Hummels followed in the footsteps of Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze by accepting a move to fierce rivals Bayern Munich, while Gundogan was snapped up by new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
But despite strong interest from Arsenal, Mkhitaryan is believed to have his heart set on an Old Trafford switch – where he would link up with Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese tactician is said to be a big fan of the versatile midfielder, and has reportedly already submitted a bid for his services.
The Mirror claims that Mourinho offered Dortmund £19m in an effort to land Mkhitaryan on the cheap, but this bid has been snubbed.
It’s added the Germans are reluctant to sell another key player and instead want more signings following the captures of Barcelona’s Marc Bartra and Stade Rennais’ Ousmane Dembele, and Mkhitaryan could be forced to see out the remaining year of his contract before landing his dream Premier League switch.
Chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said: “We have been negotiating with Mkhitaryan for four months for him to extend his contract with us.
“Now we know that it is not extended, it was never our commitment that Mkhitaryan may leave us prematurely.
“We have intensely discussed the question of an early transfer in all club bodies and came to the conclusion that Mkhitaryan will stay in Dortmund next season.”
One man not happy with the stance is agent Mino Raiola, who said: “Suddenly, they [the club] tell Micki that he should go next season on a free transfer. This is very bad management.”