Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed talks are ongoing over a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan but insists an agreement has not been reached.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger claimed on Thursday that the clubs were “close” to a breakthrough in negotiations, with United reportedly prepared to offer a transfer fee and Mkhitaryan in order to secure Sanchez’s signature.
Mourinho says there is little point denying United’s interest in the Chile star after Wenger spoke openly about the discussions but he maintains he is waiting “calmly” for updates.
“I think clearly everybody knows that we are there and especially when the Arsenal manager speaks so clearly like he did, there is no point in trying to hide or deny,” he told a news conference.
“But it is not done at all, so in this moment Mkhitaryan [is] our player, Sanchez [is] an Arsenal player and with a match tomorrow I want to switch off and focus on the most important thing, which is the match.
“Sometimes people think transfers involve the managers a lot in the negotiations. I think it depends on the profile of the clubs, the way we establish our jobs. In my case, when it goes to the table of negotiations, I like to be out. I will just be calmly waiting for news.
“I will speak if one day we sign him. I will speak about him and what he can bring to our team. At this moment, there is no point, he is an Arsenal player and not my player.”
Mourinho did confirm Mkhitaryan will not be involved against Burnley on Saturday, however, despite being at full fitness.
“No, not selected,” he said. “But [he is] in very good condition, training really well and in perfect condition like the others.”
Reports have also claimed Mourinho is on the verge of signing a contract extension at Old Trafford but the former Chelsea boss says there is no need to rush through a renewal.
“My contract ends July 2019, so plenty of time to speak,” he said. “I know that the club is happy and the owners, the board are happy, they know that I am happy. When that’s the case, the day we decide to do something, we will do it easily. There’s plenty of time.”
Mourinho, who confirmed Daley Blind will miss the Burnley game with a minor injury picked up in training, also praised the form of full-back Luke Shaw since his return to the team in December.
“He’s played very well. He was already improving and playing well when I started playing him after that long spell without minutes. The first time he played, in the Champions League, he was coming step by step,” he said.
“Now, with a good run of matches and with continuity, he’s good, solid, physically much better, mentally much stronger, tactically understanding much better what we need him to do in different phases. I’m really happy.
“I can say that, in this moment, I don’t see many left-backs better than this Luke Shaw.”
