Henrikh Mkhitaryan may see his Manchester United career end during the January transfer window amidst multiple reports of tension with manager Jose Mourinho have surfaced. The BBC reported yesterday that there has been a “breakdown of trust” between the two men, and comments that Mourinho made yesterday at his weekly news conference suggest that the Armenian national team captain could be on the move.
“If a player is not happy and brings with the request a number we consider good for us, I would never say no,” Mourinho said.
“That is my approach as a manager. Every player has a price.”
Mkhitaryan has been left out of the last four match day squads, and seven of the last eight. He hasn’t started since November 5 against Chelsea, and he hasn’t seen the pitch since November 25. He’s been linked in transfer rumors all season long, and there’s talk that Borussia Dortmund are interested in bringing him back.
Additionally, ESPN FC are reporting today that “a row occurred between the two men during a video analysis session at the club’s Carrington training ground last month.”
ESPN writes that Mkhitaryan “angered Mourinho by disagreeing with the manager’s assessment of his contribution during a substitute appearance against Brighton on Nov. 25. Mourinho was unhappy with Mkhitaryan’s defensive work rate and a mistake made by the player, singling the Armenian international out for criticism in front of the rest of the first-team squad.”
The report goes on to say that Mkhitaryan responded to his boss’s remarks by taking issue with the assessment of his performance. The argument then spilled into the hallway outside the video room.
When you look at all that has happened with Mkhitaryan over the past few weeks, it’s easy to see where this is going. His playing time has been scrace, and there are multiple reports of discontent behind the scenes. It’s probably best for all involved that he move on.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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