London: Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan were to undergo medicals on Sunday as their swap deal neared completion, reports said.
Britain’s Mirror newspaper said Sanchez was due to arrive in Manchester with agent Fernando Felicevich, with a medical scheduled for Sunday afternoon, while Sky reported that Mkhitaryan would have a medical in London.
The Mirror said the deals may not be officially completed until Monday as both Sanchez and Mkhitaryan are non-EU players and must have their work permits ratified by their new clubs.
Sky Sport News showed Armenian international Mkhitaryan at a central London hotel on Saturday evening alongside agent Mino Raiola ahead of his expected move.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and United manager Jose Mourinho both said they expected the two-way deal between the Premier League rivals to go through.
Wenger said Chile international Sanchez was absent from the Arsenal squad on Saturday because he was close to completing a deal that has been in the making since United out-bid Manchester City for the former Barcelona star.
“I expect soon or never,” Mourinho said after his side’s 1-0 win against Burnley. “I think it is so close, so close, so close that if it doesn’t happen it’s not going to happen.”
“So I am positive, I know my people are doing everything they can — the owners with the green light, Mr (executive vice chairman Ed) Woodward working hard ... and everybody is giving everything they can and I think they are going to be successful,” he added.
Sky said it understood it could be a straight swap deal but details were yet to be finalised.
It is believed United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and head of corporate finance Judge agreed terms with Sanchez earlier this week, a deal that could pay the Chilean an astonishing reported weekly salary of 500,000 pounds ($693,000, 567,000 euros) before tax and when his signing-on bonus is factored in.
But the move of Mkhitaryan in the opposite direction to London has taken longer to agree, although all the indications over the weekend were that the Armenian midfielder had finally accepted Arsenal’s offer.
After Mourinho saw a goal from Anthony Martial defeat Burnley at Turf Moor, the Portuguese boss admitted that the addition of Sanchez, and the extra competition he will offer in the forward positions, will be welcome.
“In this moment there is no competition for places, we have four attacking players for three positions, three are starting, one is on the bench,” said Mourinho.
“Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) for the whole season was not available and we look to the attacking areas and we need that extra competitive internal competition.”
While Mourinho wants more competition in attack, his defence continues to perform well with second-placed United, 12 points adrift of runaway league leaders Manchester City, yet to concede a goal in 2018.
In fact, Mourinho’s side have now played 504 minutes since they last conceded — coincidentally in the 2-2 draw with Burnley at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
“We defended well since the beginning of the season,” he said. “Normally we don’t concede many goals, the team is well organised, the defenders in form.
“David (De Gea) today I don’t remember anything important,” Mourinho added.
