From Dortmund arrival to a fractured United spell
Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and scored 11 goals in 41 games in his first season. Despite arriving with the manager’s backing, form and trust faded. Tensions rose, and the relationship with Jose Mourinho deteriorated to the point of a heated exchange that left the midfielder on the outside.
Nightly messages and the push for Alexis Sanchez
In his book My Life Always at the Centre, Mkhitaryan writes that Mourinho criticised him for more than a year. The midfielder recalls a furious argument and then a period where the coach went silent on the training ground yet sent WhatsApp messages every evening. The messages urged him to leave. By mid January the wording shifted to a plea to depart so the club could bring in Alexis Sanchez. Mkhitaryan replied that he would only go if the right team emerged and told Mourinho to speak to agent Mino Raiola, who was working on a swap with Arsenal.
January 2018 swap and a better fit at Arsenal
Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal in January 2018 in a direct exchange with Sanchez. In north London he scored nine goals in 58 appearances and helped the Gunners reach the 2019 Europa League final. The change of environment offered a steadier role and a clearer path to minutes.
Reunion in Rome and European silverware
Player and coach later reunited at Roma. Under Mourinho in the 2021 to 2022 season, Mkhitaryan featured in 44 matches across all competitions and lifted the Europa Conference League trophy. The spell in Italy brought a more functional partnership than the turbulent Old Trafford chapter.
