HENRIKH MKHITARYAN’S SISTER has added to the growing speculation that the midfielder could leave Manchester United for Borussia Dortmund in January.
The Armenia international departed the Bundesliga giants in the summer of 2016 when the Red Devils put a £30 million (€34 million) deal in place to take him to England.
Mkhitaryan has endured a testing time at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho displaying an initial reluctance to utilise his talent.
The 28-year-old did eventually make the breakthrough to become a key figure in EFL Cup and Europa League successes, while opening the 2017-18 campaign in impressive style, but has slipped back down the pecking order of late.
Dwindling game time with United has not prevented Mkhitaryan from being named Armenia’s footballer of the year once again, but it has sparked transfer talk — with a return to Dortmund being mooted.
Acknowledging the support of his fellow countrymen after landing another prestigious personal award, the comment section of Mkhitaryan’s social media post was soon flooded by Dortmund supporters.
Those eager to see him back at the Westfalendstadion posted “thousands of yellow hearts” to a former fan favourite.
Mkhitaryan’s sister, Monika, was quick to acknowledge the tribute, suggesting her brother might be open to a reunion.
Her tweet has since been deleted, but it has done little to quell speculation regarding a possible switch during the January transfer window.
It now remains to be seen whether Dortmund will make a move — seeking either a loan deal or permanent transfer — with the club’s chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke, having previously claimed that it would take a “great deal of imagination” to put an agreement in place.
The Daily Mail report that Manchester United will demand £35 million from any side looking to land Mkhitaryan on a permanent basis in January.
Inter are said to be leading the chase for the out of favour midfielder, though a return to Dortmund remains possible. A loan agreement was expected to be the most likely option, but United are prepared to sell for the right price.
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