Manchester United have made an official statement on their third 2016 summer signing. Attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkitharyan comes to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund, with BVB having made a spiteful remark in their public announcement of the deal over the weekend. The general agreement, reportedly for £26.3 million, was reached on June 28th.
At this link, you can read the not so subtle dig Dortmund took at Manchester United.
The statements coming from Old Trafford personnel, on the other hand, were all rosy and upbeat; just as you would expect.
A dream come true! So happy to join @ManUtd, a club I always admired for its history & fans! pic.twitter.com/EkbNVKaOyS
— Henrikh Mkhitaryan (@HenrikhMkh) July 6, 2016
The Mkhitaryan statement on United’s official website reads: “I am very proud to join Manchester United, this move is a dream come true for me. I am excited to play for a club with such an illustrious history and hope to be part of it for a long time. I thank the trust the club and Jose Mourinho have put in me.
“Finally, I believe playing for such a great club honours my father’s memory, and the inspiration and drive he gave to me when I was young.”
His agent, Mino Raiola, who also represents United’s second signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and one of their targets Paul Pogba, said during the negotiating process that United is indeed “Micki’s dream club.” It will be very interesting to see how Mkhitaryan, a newly added attacking player, potentially fits in to the final third.
Mourinho said yesterday, in surprise to many, that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford will be complementary duo.
Check out our in-depth profile on @HenrikhMkh: https://t.co/Jkty4Az69U #MkhitaryanIsRed pic.twitter.com/mQg61H7OPq
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2016
Hear the thoughts from @HenrikhMkh in his first #MUTV interview: https://t.co/buin4hOyAl #MkhitaryanIsRed pic.twitter.com/7ddYzsFZHf
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2016
Said the Jose Mourinho statement on the Mkhitaryan signing: “Henrikh is a very talented footballer who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country. He is a real team player with great skill, vision and also has a good eye for goal. I am delighted he has chosen to sign for United.
“I believe he will make an impact on the team very quickly as his style of play is suited to the Premier League. We are all looking forward to working with him.”
Mourinho on @HenrikhMkh: "He's a real team player with great skill & an eye for goal." More: https://t.co/SAdLmS4sPD pic.twitter.com/0a4d2XixUT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2016
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication.
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