Manchester United Transfer News: Aaron Ramsey Eyed, Henrikh Mkhitaryan Rumours

Manchester United will turn their attention to Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey should they fail to convince Borussia Dortmund to sell Henrikh Mkhitaryan. 

That’s according to Graeme Bryce of the Sun, who stated new United boss Jose Mourinho thinks Ramsey could become the Frank Lampard of this Red Devils team should he join. However, the Dortmund man remains the “top target” at Old Trafford this summer. The Gunners are said to value Ramsey at around £50 million.

Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mirror recently reported that United had made a bid of £28 million for Mkhitaryan, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Bundesliga side.

Per the same source, the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, has insisted joining the Red Devils would be a “dream” for the Armenia international.

It’s easy to see why Mkhitaryan is the primary target for Mourinho as he seeks to refresh United in attack. Here is a look back at some of his best moments from the 2015-16 term:

In a league that’s bristling with star names, Mkhitaryan was arguably the standout player in the German top flight last season. Not only was he a regular source of goals with 11 in the Bundesliga, but he was a brilliant creator of chances, laying on a whopping 15 assists for his BVB team-mates and doing so from a variety of positions on the field.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

While the majority of clubs would be happy to cash in for £28 million on a player running down their contract, Dortmund have form when it comes to keeping their star men around—even if it means losing them on a free transfer. Indeed, striker Robert Lewandowski ended up joining Bayern Munich for nothing in 2014.

So it should be no surprise to see Mourinho is making contingency plans, and Ramsey could be a fine one. World Soccer Talk’s Kartik Krishnaiyer has been impressed with the Welshman at the 2016 UEFA European Championship:

There are significant differences between the Gunners star and Mkhitaryan, but there are some similarities too. While not as intricate, Ramsey makes penetrating runs into dangerous areas and, like the Armenia star, he is adept at having an influence on matches in various roles.

IKIMAGES/Getty Images

A sum of £50 million may be enough to convince Arsenal to sell. The Gunners, after all, have just landed Granit Xhaka, have Jack Wilshere returning to fitness and already possess the likes of Santi Cazorla, Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin to call upon in central-midfield positions.

Here is a full statistical comparison between the Wales international and Mkhitaryan from league matches last term:

	Ramsey	Mkhitaryan
Apps (Sub)	29 (2)	28 (3)
Goals	5	11
Assists	4	15
Shots per game	2.2	2.6
Key passes per game	1.2	2.7
Dribbles per game	1.3	2.6
Tackles per game	2.5	1.7

Mkhitaryan would be an ideal capture for Mourinho. The Portuguese always looks for players who can mesh guile in possession with defensive grit, something the Armenia star has done brilliantly in the Bundesliga. However, having already sold Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels this summer, losing another vital squad member would be a huge blow to Dortmund.

Should the German outfit remain stubborn, United would surely be met with a similarly stiff rebuttal from Arsenal if they were to ask about Ramsey's availability.

The prickly relationship between Arsene Wenger and Mourinho is well documented, and in what is set to be one of the most competitive Premier League seasons ever, selling a star player to a rival ahead of its commencement will not be on the Gunners’ agenda.