JOSE MOURINHO needs to strengthen his attacking unit if Manchester United are to avoid another disappointing season.
Mkhitaryan got his first big move when Dortmund paid more than £20m for him
United recorded their lowest ever Premier League goal tally last term and saw Louis van Gaal sacked after a fifth place finish.
The Red Devils are said to be in talks over a £30million move for Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
But why is new boss Mourinho planning on splashing the cash on the Armenian this summer?
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Age: 27
Born: Yerevan, Armenia
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Previous clubs: Pyunik, Metalurh Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk
Position: Attacking midfielder
National team: Armenia (59 caps, 19 goals)
Where did he come from?
Mkhitaryan has football in his blood.
His father Hamlet, who died when his son was just seven, was a striker for Armenian side Ararat Yerevan and was capped twice by the national team.
Henrikh was born in the shadow of Yerevan’s stadium, his mother works for the Armenian Football Federation and his sister works for UEFA.
The family moved to France just after Mkhitaryan's birth but returned when he was six where he started played for Pyunik.
He left his homeland again at the age of 20 to join Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine but he was signed by champions Shakhtar just a year later.
There he made his name, scoring 25 goals in 29 games in the 2012/13 season before being snapped up by Dortmund for £21.5m.
He was part of then-manager Jurgen Klopp’s side but has not won a single major trophy in his three years at the club.
How does he play?
His goalscoring record in Ukraine looks like one of a striker: in his final season with Shakhtar he was the Premier League’s top scorer and broke the record for goals in a single season.
However, he is definitely an attacking midfielder, albeit one with a incredible eye for goal.
His late runs into the box make him difficult to pick up and his remarkable fitness and work-rate mean he can produce them throughout the match.
Mkhitaryan also has a sweet right foot, both in open play and from dead-ball situations, with a number of his assists last season coming from corners.
His finishing ability stems predominantly not from a poacher’s instinct but impeccable technique when striking a ball under pressure or in awkward positions.