Manchester United struggles over the last decade have left the reputation a multitude of high-profile names across the football world in tatters after failing to produce at the Theatre of Dreams.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jose Mourinho both fall into this category with the pair promising much upon their arrival as a player and manager, respectively.
Mourinho bought the Armenian to Old Trafford in the summer of 2106. But things didn’t quite go to plan with Mkhitaryan being sold in swap deal for Alexis Sanchez just a year-and-a-half later.
Now, as reported by the Daily Mail, Mkhitaryan has lifted the lid on the manner of his departure which included an explosive bust up with his then boss, Mourinho.
Mkhitaryan reveals all
In his new book, the playmaker claims the relationship between the pair was at complete breaking point with an x-rated confrontation signalling the end of the player’s time in Manchester.
“I told him, you’ve been criticizing me for a year-and-a-half now, ever since I arrived at Manchester United. Mourinho told me I was ‘s***’ and I just lost my temper. ‘You are the s***. An enormous one.’ Mou replied: ‘Get out of here, I never want to see you again,’ the book reads.
Mkhitaryan adds Mourinho refused to communicate in person and kept “a religious level of silence” toward him in training sessions.
However, things would change outside of Carrington with Mourinho sending WhatsApp messages “every evening” to his player, asking him to leave the club.
“Miki, leave, please” read the early messages before slightly changing into the middle of January when United had eyes on the Sanchez deal. “Miki, please leave, that way I can get Alexis Sanchez.”
Given the frosty communication, the Armenian was left in no doubt his future was better served away from Old Trafford and sought to find a resolution through his agent, Mino Raiola.
“The situation had become grotesque. I’d reply every time with the same copy and paste response. I will leave if I find the right team, otherwise I’ll wait for the summer. Mino Raiola was working on this exchange with Arsenal. So my response mutated too. ‘I am not leaving just to do you a favour, and please stop writing to me. If you want, talk to Mino,’” he writes.
No happy ever after
Eventually, the deal was agreed with Mkhitaryan swapping Manchester for North London and the Arsenal man packing his bags to head north of the capital.
However, like Mkhitaryan, Sanchez struggled to find his form under Mourinho and found himself leaving the club with the label of one of the worst signings in recent times.
Mkhitaryan was happy to note this in his book, signing off the debacle with “And everyone lived happily ever after” in a sure fire dig at Sanchez’s time at Old Trafford.
Mourinho was eventually replaced after two-and-a-half seasons in charge, to be replaces by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who took the reigns in the winter of 2019.
Mkhitaryan went onto have a successful spell in Serie A with Roma before moving Inter Milan where he still plies his trade, after failing to nail down a first team spot at the Emirates Stadium.
Featured image Marco Luzzani via Getty Images
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Conner Botterill
Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for three years. A keen match-going red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology through the Open University. His favourite match attended was the Champions League victory in Paris under one the guidance of one of his idols, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.
