Manchester United Transfer News: Henrikh Mkhitaryan Agreement, Latest Rumours

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Manchester United will sign Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a €40 million deal, according to reports. 

Bild (h/t Edo Dalmonte of CalcioMercato.com) has stated Dortmund are willing to cash in on the midfielder provided their aforementioned valuation is met. 

Mkhitaryan has just one year left on his contract with the club, and United have already made a £28 million offer, according to Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mirror.

It’s a transfer that seems to be edging closer to completion. Here is a look at what United fans can begin to get excited about:

Mkhitaryan took a couple of years at Dortmund to find his absolute best form, but with Thomas Tuchel handing him more freedom in the 2015-16 season, the Armenia international flourished. These numbers from Squawka Football show just how effective he was in the final third in the Bundesliga:

One of the main problems United encountered last season was a lack of ingenuity in the final third. While a lot of that was down to the system deployed by former manager Louis van Gaal, the squad wasn’t rife with footballers who could unpick opponents content with just defending. It’s an issue Mourinho must find an antidote for.

Mkhitaryan could well be it. The midfielder drifts into space with intelligence and can probe at defensive setups in a variety of ways. The 27-year-old can dribble with the ball, coast past opponents and when given time, thread incisive passes into dangerous areas.

Tuchel has helped Mkhitaryan make massive improvements.SASCHA SCHURMANN/Getty Images

There would be some concerns about spending so much on a player who would be available for nothing in 12 months' time. Nooruddean Choudry of Joe.co.uk is also worried the Dortmund man could go the way of Angel Di Maria, who was moved on by United after just a solitary campaign at the club:

Yet Mkhitaryan seems to have the steeliness needed to thrive in English football. Of course, he’ll have to show some more discipline under the Portuguese, but he's a footballer who has blossomed at the Westfalenstadion lately, and the Red Devils would be all the better for getting him on board.

Alvaro Morata Set for Real Madrid Talks

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According to Alvaro Morata’s agent, the reported Manchester United target is set to hold talks with Real Madrid about his future.

“He still has offers from top clubs in the Premier League,” his agent Juanma Lopez told AS (h/t Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News). “We’ll see, we have to talk to [Zinedine] Zidane. But for the moment Morata is happy. Whether or not he’ll stay or not, you have to ask Real Madrid. But as things stand, he is a Madrid player from July 1.”

As noted by Luckhurst, the former Juventus forward, who recently returned to Madrid, has been linked with a move to the Red Devils, Arsenal and Chelsea. Here is a look at what he is capable of:

Morata has certainly made improvements during his time in Turin, although he’s not yet to the standard where he’ll be usurping Karim Benzema at the point of the attack in the Spanish capital. He continues to excel on the big stages, though, as we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com:

Of the three English teams mentioned as potential suitors, United arguably need Morata the least. Already they have Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to be heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford on a free transfer, per Andy Burton of Sky Sports.

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Real Madrid have placed a whopping £60 million valuation on Morata. While United could certainly afford that amount, Mourinho will feel as though he can utilise those funds less frivolously and improve other areas of his squad.