The reason Jose Mourinho offloaded Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Arsenal has been revealed.
The former Chelsea boss allowed the player to leave because he reportedly felt he lacked the mental strength to play for a big club like Manchester United.
The American is on the verge of swapping Old Trafford for north London in a straight trade deal for Alexis Sanchez, with an official announcement expected on Monday after both players completed their medicals yesterday.
Mkhitaryan started the latest Premier League campaign in fine form, laying on five assists in his first three matches, but failed to create a goal for his teammates since September.
A source within Old Trafford told The Times UK that Mourinho ran out of patience with Mkhitaryan’s inconsistent performances and concluded that he could not handle the pressure of playing for United.
When Mkhitaryan first arrived England from Borussia Dortmund, Mourinho integrated him slowly into the side over fears he was a little too lightweight for the Premier League.
Just recently, the American found himself axed from the starting XI, starting just one league game since the start of December.
The Portuguese gaffer preferred Jesse Lingard over Mkhitaryan as he was a more robust presence, and the England international took the opportunity with both hands.
Lingard has seven goals and four assists in 20 Premier League appearances this season.
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