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Arsenal expect to complete 2nd January signing within 48 hours [Mirror]

By mac14 on January 17, 2018

According to the Mirror, Arsenal are confident a deal to sign Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United in exchange for Alexis Sanchez will be completed by the end of the week.

Mkhitaryan holds the key to the proposed swap deal and agreeing terms with Arsenal is the only thing holding-up Sanchez’s switch to United as the Chilean has reportedly agreed a contract worth £14m-per-season AFTER tax [Telegraph].

Mino Raiola, Mkhitaryan’s agent, told Sky Sports yesterday that the playmaker wouldn’t be bullied in to making a decision over his future and was in no rush to leave Old Trafford.

For many, this was just posturing by the agent to try and squeeze a better deal for his client as United are understood to have made it clear to Mkhitaryan that he has no future at the club.

The Mirror claim that Raiola is still demanding an increase on Mkhitaryan’s current £150,000-a-week contract while he also wants a ‘golden handshake’ from United after being pushed out the door.

Raiola is a notoriously difficult character to deal with and plus the Mirror says that Arsenal are holding out for cash as well as Mkhitaryan in exchange for Sanchez signature – something Raiola nor United agree with.

However, despite the complex issues, the newspaper says Arsenal believe Mkhitaryan wants to join us and remain confident that a deal will be agreed within the next 48 hours.

That means Mkhitaryan will be an Arsenal player by the end of the week with Sanchez heading in the opposite direction to United and we should have an end to this saga by the weekend.

So if the Mirror’s report is accurate then Arsenal are on the verge of completing their second signing of the January window following the £2m arrival of Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Mkhitaryan’s signing could be quickly followed by the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Borussia Dortmund hitman is also being strongly linked with a move to Arsenal so the former team mates could be reunited at the Emirates this month.

If Arsenal manage to swap Theo Walcott [who’s completed his move to Everton] and Sanchez for Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang I think we’d have done very well in this window. Throw in Malcom and it would be an excellent winter.