Manchester United outcast and former Borussia Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan might move back to the Westfalenstadion on loan in the January transfer window if reports in the Mirror are to be believed. The Armenian joined the English giants in the summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £27 million to £30 million on a four-year deal.
The 27-year-old’s debut for the Reds came in a friendly against Wigan Athletic, and many were impressed by his performance in the match. The United fans especially were buoyed by his arrival and it was believed that along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, the playmaker will change the fortunes of the Manchester-based club.
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However, after coming on as a substitute against Bournemouth and becoming the first Armenian player to play in the English Premier League, things have gone downhill for Mkhitaryan. After an indifferent first-half against arch-rivals Manchester City, where he picked up a thigh injury in what was his first start, the playmaker was taken off and has since failed to make it to the starting XI.
According to reports, Borussia Dortmund’s manager Tomas Tuchel is eager to bring back Mkhitaryan on loan and has even talked to club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and General manager Michael Zorc about his situation. The former Shakhtar Donetsk player had stellar three years with the Dortmund-based club, scoring 23 goals and assisting 36 times in the Bundesliga.
Also Read: From Bundesliga Player of the Year to relative anonymity - What's gone wrong for Henrikh Mkhitaryan?
Last month, after rumours emerged that Jose Mourinho is not impressed with the Armenian, the United manager cleared the air saying that he still believes that the playmaker will come good and can go on to become a top player at Old Trafford. However, he did add that players usually take time to settle into the rhythm of English football and that might be the case with Mkhitaryan as well.
Mourinho said, “I think so, yes. Some players find it very easy whereas others need more time. They need to feel the intensity, the aggression, the game without the ball and the competitiveness.”
However, not the one to back off, Mkhitaryan recently said that even though game time has been hard to come by, he will continue working hard and that ‘nothing will prevent him from achieving his dream’.
“It is true that I get little time on the field, but I am not going to give in. I went a long way to play in Manchester United, so nothing will prevent me from achieving my dream. I will not retreat, I will find the strength to reach my goal.”
Mkhitaryan’s episode brings back the memory of Shinji Kagawa, who after arriving at Old Trafford from Dortmund in 2012, failed to cement his position in the team and moved back to the Westfalenstadion after two seasons. It will be interesting to see if the Armenian’s career follows a similar path or if he bounces back and sets the Premier League on fire.
