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Cape Town - Arsene Wenger has confirmed Henrikh Mkhitaryan is close to joining Arsenal and believes the deal – as well as Alexis Sanchez’s transfer to Man Utd – will go through in the next 24 hours.
Arsenal demanded the Armenian after sanctioning the £35 million sale of Sanchez to Old Trafford and when asked if Mkhitaryan would be coming to Arsenal as part of the deal, Wenger said: "Yes that is my understanding. I like the player."
Asked whether wages be an obstacle with Mkhitaryan, he added: "No, the wages will not be a problem."
He said: "We played many times against him when he was at Dortmund, he appreciates the way we play football."
The update comes after a day of talks between the players and their respective new clubs.
On Wednesday it was reported that Sanchez had agreed personal terms on a four-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford that would see him earn £14 million a year – around £270 000 a week after tax – making him the Premier League’s highest-paid player.
However, a report in the Daily Star on Thursday claimed Sanchez’s request for a £20million signing-on fee was stalling the deal, though it is believed that the two parties will soon find a workaround and the paperwork will be finalised on the stunning deal.
