Manchester United confirm signing of Borussia Dortmund star

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund on a four-year contract.

Mkhitaryan, 27, becomes United’s third arrival of the summer after Eric Bailly from Villarreal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain.

He told United’s official website: “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.”

A dream come true! So happy to join @ManUtd, a club I always admired for its history & fans! Henrikh Mkhitaryan (@HenrikhMkh) July 6, 2016

Mkhitaryan, whose father Hamlet was also a footballer, made 140 appearances and scored 41 goals Dortmund after joining them from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

United boss Jose Mourinho added: “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.” Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2016

Dortmund announced the news on Saturday, stating that they agreed to let the Armenia international go after intensive discussions with their player.

“Manchester United have made us a tremendously valuable offer. Had we rejected it, the player would be able to leave for free in 2017,” Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said.

The German club added in the statement: “Borussia Dortmund wishes Henrikh Mkhitaryan all the best for the coming season in both the Premier League and in the UEFA Europa League.”

The midfielder was brought to the Bundesliga from Shakhtar Donetsk by Jurgen Klopp for a fee of €27.5 million in 2013. However, it was following Klopp’s departure last season that he flourished, scoring 11 goals and producing 20 assists under the guidance of head coach Thomas Tuchel