Why Manchester United reject Mkhitaryan would be perfect for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool

The season started so well for Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Indeed, the Armenian laid on five assists in Manchester United’s first three games of the campaign, indicating to many that he had finally found his role in Jose Mourinho’s team. It was a false dawn. Five months later, Mkhitaryan has been ostracised at Old Trafford with Mourinho reportedly keen to move the playmaker on this month.

The 28-year-old arrived at United in the summer of 2016 as a marquee signing, the playmaker to get the best from their frontline. At Borussia Dortmund, Mkhitaryan had been an assist machine, and in the same transfer window that saw Paul Pogba move for £89 million, his capture for £26.3 million was seen as a shrewd piece of business.

Over time, though, Mourinho, whether deliberately or not, has chipped away at Mkhitaryan’s confidence. Now, the Armenian is a shell of his former self. Whoever takes him on next will face a rebuilding job to get the playmaker back to what he was not so long ago. Nobody would do a better job of that than Jurgen Klopp.

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It was Klopp who took Mkhitaryan to Dortmund, establishing the Armenian as one of the finest talents in the European game. It was Klopp was moved the Armenian into a more central position, getting the best out of his inherent creativity. And it’s Klopp who, following the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, is in need of a playmaker.

So, to address the very obvious hurdle to a Klopp-Mkhitaryan reunion, it’s highly unlikely that even in their desperation to get rid of the 28-year-old that Man Utd would sell to Liverpool, such is the rivalry between the two clubs. It’s been over 50 years since a player last moved between the two sides (Phil Chisnall in 1964), with tensions only heightening since then.

But there can be no denying that, ignoring all that would likely scupper a move, Mkhitaryan would be a perfect fit for Liverpool and Liverpool would be a perfect fit for Mkhitaryan. Klopp, as a character, is an altogether different sort of manager to Mourinho, the kind that the playmaker tends to thrive under.

While Mourinho systematically tests his players’ resolve, Klopp takes a different approach. The German is one for putting an arm round his players, getting to know them on a personal level. At times, this can be to Klopp’s detriment, contributing to the idea that he is often too soft on his players, but for someone like Mkhitaryan, these qualities are crucial.

With Coutinho gone, there would be a clear role for Mkhitaryan at Anfield. The Armenian’s natural interchangeability would see him fit in well alongside the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Unlike at Man Utd, there is no rigidity of responsibility at Liverpool. Klopp encourages his players to be fluid, particularly in the final third.

Of course, it’s more probable that Mkhitaryan will end up back at Dortmund, perhaps on loan until the end of the season, or maybe even in Serie A with Inter Milan, who are reported to be interested. Klopp is not believed to be interested in returning for his former player, although that position is surely informed by the likelihood of pulling off such a move.

Instead, Mhkitaryan will only be able to rue that he ended up at the wrong club in the English North-west. Liverpool were linked with the playmaker for a long time before Man Utd swooped, making a promise that they have been ultimately unable to deliver. Getting Mkhitaryan to Anfield would is an impossible task, but Klopp must recognise how player, club and manager are perfect for each other. All that stands between them is an intense 124-year-old rivalry.