Mkhitaryan on Instagram: 'What am I getting for my birthday?'

On January 22, 2018, reports indicated that Henrikh Mkhitaryan was in London for a medical as part of a proposed straight swap deal between Manchester United and Arsenal. The transfer would see Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester United, while Arsenal hoped to soften the blow of his departure by securing Mkhitaryan. Arsenal was also reportedly targeting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the 28-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward.

According to reporting at the time by Sky Sports News, the paperwork on every aspect of the swap deal had yet to be signed off as of Sunday morning. Arsene Wenger had previously reiterated that Arsenal would not let Sanchez depart without securing a replacement, which Manchester United was prepared to provide from its own squad. The Manchester United manager confirmed that the club’s executive vice-chairman and its head of corporate finance were working to finalize the transaction, which would provide the team with another attacking option.

The deal followed media and former player criticism of Arsenal’s handling of ongoing contract issues involving Sanchez and Özil. While Sanchez’s departure from Arsenal was widely anticipated, his move to Manchester United was unexpected. To facilitate the transfer, an agent representing Mkhitaryan secured a payout on the remaining two and a half years of his Manchester United contract, reportedly threatening to halt the entire swap deal if the terms were not met.