Transfer Centre

Henrikh Mkhitaryan wants pay rise in Arsenal move?

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 17 January 2018

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is said to be demanding an increase in his salary in order to agree to a switch from Manchester United to Arsenal this month.

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is said to be demanding an increase in his wages in order to agree a switch to Arsenal this month.

The 28-year-old is believed to be wanted by the Gunners as part of a swap deal that would see wantaway attacker Alexis Sanchez move in the opposite direction.

United manager Jose Mourinho is said to be keen to keep hold of the Armenian, who has three-and-a-half years remaining on his existing contract, but will reluctantly allow him to leave if it is a deal-breaker in signing Sanchez.

According to The Mirror today, Mkhitaryan's agent Mino Raiola has now thrown a potential spanner in the works by making demands over the player's new contract at the Emirates, with wages the major sticking point.

Raiola is said to be asking for an increase on Mkhitaryan's current £150,000-a-week deal - which would already make him the highest earner at Arsenal - as well as a "golden handshake" from United that would see Raiola pocket at least £5m for his part in the transfer.

The newspaper also claims that Raiola will use the opportunity to renegotiate deals for his other clients at United, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is thought to be on his way out of the club at the end of the season.

Both Sanchez and Mkhitaryan were left out of their respective teams' most recent games amid the speculation.