Phil Thompson makes bold claim about Man United and £30m midfielder

Phil Thompson has questioned Manchester United’s pursuit of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The Red Devils have been linked with a £30m bid for the Borussia Dortmund playmaker in recent weeks as new manager Jose Mourinho looks to bolster his squad ahead of his first season in charge at Old Trafford.

Mkhitaryan scored an impressive 11 goals and made 15 assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund in the 2015/16 season but the Armenia international has reportedly turned down the chance to sign a new contract.

United’s rivals Liverpool completed a reported £34m deal to sign former Red Devils target Sadio Mane on Tuesday afternoon as Jurgen Klopp continues to build ahead of the new Premier League season.

And Thompson can’t fathom the size of transfer fee that United are thought to be willing to pay for Mkhitaryan as the 20-time English champions close in on a deal for the 27-year-old playmaker.

Criticising Liverpool’s big-money deal for Mane, Thompson told Sky Sports:

“It’s the same with Manchester United stumping up £30m for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a 27-year-old who doesn’t score as much as Mane.”

Mkhitaryan joined Dortmund ahead of interest from Liverpool in 2013.