Borussia Dortmund confirm Mkhitaryan sale to Man United

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will join Manchester United after Borussia Dortmund reluctantly confirmed the two clubs had agreed a fee – believed to £26.3m – for the player.

Dortmund released a statement reading: “After intensive discussions BVB have complied with the wishes of the Armenian national team player to join Manchester United.”

. @HenrikhMkh wechselt zu @ManUtd // Henrikh Mkhitaryan moves to Manchester United. Details to follow. pic.twitter.com/mFxTgZoS3J

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) July 2, 2016

“This transfer was for us a difficult one to agree, but we had to assess the fact the player just had a year left on his deal and Manchester made us a tremendous offer.

“Had we knocked it back, the player would be able to leave for free in 2017. It was a tough balancing act, but in the end, the money on offer – plus the player’s reluctance to sign a new deal – meant we had little choice.

“Borussia Dortmund wishes Henrikh Mkhitaryan all the best for the coming season in both the Premier League and in the UEFA Europa League.”

The Armenian playmaker will become the third new arrival of the Jose Mourinho era after deals for Eric Bailly last month and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday were agreed.

Mkhitaryan – who Manchester United have tracked all summer – arrived in Manchester on a private jet arrived from Dortmund at Manchester Airport at 3.30pm on Friday afternoon, before being taken to Carrington and to put the final touches on the transfer.

Manchester United are yet to announce the deal, but official confirmation is thought to be imminent.

Mkhitaryan refused to sign a new deal at Dortmund, and with only one year remaining on his current deal, the German club were forced into the player’s sale.

After a series of negotiations, it is now reported that the clubs have struck a £26.3million deal – amid claims the player was set to part finance the transfer deal himself.