Manchester United to pay €42.5m for Henrikh Mkhitaryan – reports

Manchester United are set to pay Henrikh Mkhitaryan 42.5 millions euros. asbarez.com
Manchester United are set to pay Henrikh Mkhitaryan 42.5 millions euros. asbarez.com

Internet Desk: Manchester United are set to pay €42.5 million for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to multiple reports in Germany.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed on Tuesday that United had “significantly improved their offer” and kicker, Ruhr Nachrichten and Bild all report that the Premier League side have nearly doubled their initial €24m (£19.9m) bid to €42.5m (£35.2m).

The reports said Dortmund are set to accept the offer — which would be the biggest transfer fee ever paid for a player entering the final year of his contract in Europe — and the deal will be completed in the coming days.

Mkhitaryan, 27, joined Dortmund from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for a club record €27.5m fee, but the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, said last week that United are his “dream club” and “he wants to join them by any means.”

The Armenia international, who registered 23 goals and 32 assists for BVB last term, would become United’s second signing under Jose Mourinho after defender Eric Bailly.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also expected to join on a free transfer while sources have told as they are persisting with their efforts to re-sign France midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus.

Hulk

Meanwhile, Shanghai SIPG boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to sign Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk for £45.7m ($61.2m) – a record fee for an Asian club.

The fee has been agreed by the two clubs and the Brazil striker, 29, is expected in China this week to finalize the move.

Former England boss Eriksson is under pressure to improve results after slipping 12 points behind the Chinese Super League’s leaders Guangzhou Evergrande.

Hulk, who scored four goals for the Russian club in last season’s Champions League, was in the Brazil squad for the Copa America, but made just one appearance off the bench.

The previous record transfer fee paid by an Asian club was the £38m Jiangsu Suning paid Shakhtar Donetsk for Alex Teixera.

Hulk spent the early years of his career in his homeland and on loan in Japan, but he made his name with Porto, who he played for from 2008-12.

He moved to Zenit for a fee of £33m in 2012.