Thierry Henry: Henrikh Mkhitaryan ready to perform after Man Utd signing’s wake-up call

Thierry Henry believes Manchester United signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan is starting to get to grips with the Premier League after a slow start to his Old Trafford career.

The Red Devils signed the Armenia international in a £30m deal from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window as Mourinho looked to put his stamp on the United squad.

However, Mkhitaryan made a disappointing start to his Premier League career after the attacking midfielder was withdrawn at half-time on his first top-flight start in a 2-1 loss to Manchester City in September.

The Armenian playmaker made just his second Premier League start in a 1-1 draw with Everton earlier this month before the former Dortmund star opened his account in England with a well-taken goal in a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Henry explained why he is a big fan of Mkhitaryan despite the summer signing’s slow start to life at Manchester United.

“If you’re not ready for this league, it’s a wake-up call. We’ve seen a lot of players leaving Dortmund and coming to this league and not performing,” Henry said.

“It took them a while, some of them returned to Dortmund. Mkhitaryan didn’t start well because it’s a normal process. You have to get used to the league, a new environment, a new system, new team-mates.

“I think now it looks like he’s getting better. He understands what’s required. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Mkhitaryan. He can take the ball and run at people, has an eye for goal and can give you assists. You have to give him time to adapt and he now looks like he’s ready for the Premier League.”

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