Arsenal and Chelsea to battle it out for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has refused to sign a new contract

Borussia Dortmund are perceived as one of the best run clubs in Europe, but for some reason they always find themselves in contractual issues with their players. Ilkay Gundogan was allowed to sign for Manchester City as he had just one year left on his contract and they really couldn’t do anything to stop their captain Mats Hummels from signing for Bayern Munich either.

Next on the list could very well be Henrikh Mkhitaryan, whose contract at Signal Iduna Park expires next summer. The 27-year-old has 23 goals and 32 assists to his name this season in all competitions, and several top European clubs are after his signature.

The Armenian international was close to signing for Liverpool in 2013, when Brendan Rodgers was the manager of the Merseyside club, but instead opted to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund. Reports in the German media suggest he could be heading to England, but this time Jurgen Klopp’s new side Liverpool are not in the race to sign him.

Arsenal have offered Mkhitaryan a bumper contract and are in the pole position to sign the Borussia Dortmund star, according to German daily Bild. Mkhitaryan is reluctant to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga side and with Mino Raiola as his agent, it’s only going to get more difficult for the Signal Iduna Park outfit to agree to a contract renewal.

Borussia Dortmund, however, are not prepared to let Mkhitaryan leave this summer, having already lost Hummels and Gundogan and have made it clear to the Armenian that he either signs a new contract or leaves for a free next summer. A tempting offer from Arsenal or any of the interested clubs could obviously change Borussia Dortmund’s decision, but that remains to be seen.

Also Read: Dortmund sign Turkey teenager Emre Mor

Earlier, Bild had claimed that Chelsea are also in the race to sign Mkhitaryan and are prepared to offer the player a mega deal, while the Blues also don’t mind paying a €50m transfer fee. However, Arsenal have the advantage over their London rivals, as they could offer the player Champions League football next season.

There is still a chance Mkhitaryan could sign a new deal with Borussia Dortmund, but it is reported his agent, Mino Raiola, wants a release clause inserted in his new contract, something that the Bundesliga side are not inclined to do.

Reports in another German media outlet Kicker, however, will tell you a different story, with claims that Borussia Dortmund are prepared to sell Mkhitaryan if he refuses to sign a new contract.

Kicker says London clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur could offer big money for the player. The situation seems to be a bit confusing, with two leading newspapers in Germany reporting contradictory stories and it remains to be seen who is correct.

As we said earlier, Borussia Dortmund could very well be tempted to sell Mkhitaryan this summer if a big offer arrives and the player remains adamant on his stance to not sign a new deal. The Armenian star could be a brilliant signing for any Premier League side and it’d be interesting to see who wins the race.

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Edited by Staff Editor