YOU’RE TAKING THE MKHIY
ENGLISH LATEST Gunners are being held to ransom by Henrikh as Armenian midfielder demands pay rise AND a pay-off before Sanchez deal to Utd goes through
knows he would be public enemy No.1 if he stayed put and was seen as the reason the Sanchez deal did not happen.
Arsenal believe Raiola is now playing tough to get the best deal possible and are sure Mkhitaryan wants to move to London with the chance to link up again with Gunners recruitment chief Sven Mislintat, who he knows from Borussia Dortmund.
Raiola said: “Mkhi’s problems at Man Utd are purely related to playing football.
“He has no problem with the manager. It is not personal. And he has two-anda-half years left on his contract. He doesn’t have to leave.”
United’s imminent capture of Chile striker Sanchez is a huge victory for Mourinho in his battle to match the spending of his immediate rivals.
After a 2-2 home draw with Burnley left his side 12 points adrift of their Manchester rivals on Boxing Day, the Reds boss claimed the near £300m spent under him was not enough.
His opposite number Pep Guardiola has splashed out almost £370m across the city since he too arrived in Manchester in 2016.
Three days after his initial remarks Mourinho was at it again, warning Old Trafford executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the board they risked a prolonged period in City’s shadows if they did not fork out the funds required to compete with them. That message resonated to the extent they put a financial package of around £100m in place to hijack City’s move for Sanchez.
His capture from under the noses of their local rivals would be a major coup even though City insist they walked away from the deal because the figures did not stack up for a 29-year-old with so little time left on his deal.
Sanchez, who will be handed the vacant No.7 shirt at United, can play anywhere across the frontline with Juan Mata likely to be the one to make way.
The Spaniard has started United’s last six games but with Romelu Lukaku leading their attack, Jesse Lingard in at No.10 and Anthony Martial first-choice on the left-hand side, he could be pushed out on the right.