Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Jose Mourinho opens up on transfer: This player was not ready to join Man Utd
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN was not ready for Manchester United when he initially signed, according to Jose Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho thinks Henrikh Mkhitaryan wasn't ready for Manchester United when he first signed
Henrikh Mkhitaryan joined Manchester United last summer from Borussia Dortmund for £26million off the back of a stunning Bundesliga season.
The Armenia international scored 23 goals and provided 32 assists in all competitions last term but he got off to a slow start at United.
And Jose Mourinho thinks the 28-year-old initially struggled at Old Trafford because he was not ready for the rigours of the Premier League.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has begun to settle at Manchester United
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is 'happy to be back'
"The way Micki dealt with it [being out of the team] is different to how other players do it," Mourinho told BBC 2’s The Premier League Show.
"He realised that he was not ready for this reality. Physical, mental, competitiveness.
"Also for his body to adapt to that physicality to that intensity, the little time to recover from match to match is hard."
Mkhitaryan has now settled at United and has begun to show glimpses of what he is capable of, scoring seven goals in all competitions.
He is under contract at Old Trafford until June 2020.
Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?