Sanchez and Mkhitaryan ‘set for medicals’
ARSENAL f or ward Al e x i s Sanchez and Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan were to undergo medicals yesterday as their swap deal neared completion, reports said.
Britain’s Mirror newspaper said Sanchez was due to arrive in Manchester with agent Fernando Felicevich, with a medical scheduled for yesterday afternoon, while Sky Sports reported that Mkhitaryan would have a medical in London.
The Mirror said the deals may not be officially completed until today as both Sanchez and Mkhitaryan are non-EU players and must have their work permits ratified by their new clubs.
Sky Sport News showed Armenian international Mkhitaryan at a central London hotel on Saturday evening alongside agent Mino Raiola ahead of his expected move.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and United manager Jose Mourinho both said they expected the two-way deal between the Premier League rivals to go through.
Wenger said Chile international Sanchez was absent from the Arsenal squad on Saturday because he was close to completing a deal that has been in the making since United out-bid Manchester City for the former Barcelona star.
“I expect soon or never,” Mourinho said after his side’s 1-0 win against Burnley. “I think it is so close, so close, so close that if it doesn’t happen it’s not going ng to happen. happen.”
“So I am positive. I know my people are doing everything they hey can – the owners e r s with wit h the green n light, [executive e vice chairman Ed] W o o d w a r d w o r k i n g hard . . . and nd e v e r y - b o d y i s giving eveerything they hey can, and I think they ey are going to be successful,” cessful,” he added.
Sky Sports orts said i t understood od t hat i t could be a straight s wa p d e a l b u t d e t a i l s wer e finalised.
Mourin Mourinho said that he was c confident his protracte protracted pursuit of Sanchez was w nearing a conclusion conclusion. y e t t o
Delicate Delicat stage
b e The Manchester United Uni manager, speaking spe af t er his side’s victory at Tu T r f Moor in the league l on Saturday, urda conceded that the negotiation tions, with Mkhit taryan a r y moving in the t opposite direction, dire were a t a d e l i c a t e stage. sta
But he sa id t hat he was optimistic a decision on t he t wo-way t r a nsfer was f a st approaching.
It is believed United’s executive vice chairman Woodward and head of corporate finance Matt Judge agreed terms with Sanchez (pictured, AFP) earlier last week, a deal that could pay the Chilean an astonishing reported weekly salary of £500,000 ($693,000) before tax and when his signing-on bonus is factored in.
But the move of Mkhitaryan in the opposite direction to London took longer to agree, although all the indications over the weekend were that the Armenian midfielder had finally accepted Arsenal’s offer.