Manchester United have had an offer for Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan accepted, the BBC reports.
The Armenia captain, who cost the German club £23.5m in 2013, is out of contract next summer.
“Had we refused it, the player would be available for free in 2017,” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told the club’s official website.
Mkhitaryan, 27, is yet to have a medical at Old Trafford and personal terms are still to be agreed.
If a deal for the player – who will require a work permit – is completed, he will become United’s third major signing of the summer after Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly and former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He was named Bundesliga Players’ Player of the Season in 2015-16 after scoring 18 goals in all competitions, including one against the Reds in the Europa League defeat at Anfield.
Mkhitaryan is the son of one of Armenia’s most famous footballers, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, and won the first of his 59 caps for his country a week before his 18th birthday.
“Borussia Dortmund and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (27) go their seperate ways this summer,” the club said in a stateemnt today.
Following an intensive round of discussions, Borussia Dortmund accepted the Armenian international’s wish to join Manchester United next season.
“Based on a completely new situation, this transfer was a difficult trade-off for us. Manchester made us a very attractive offer. Had we refused it, the player would have left us on a free transfer in 2017 and we would only have delayed the matter of a replacement for a year,” explained Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
“Borussia Dortmund would like to wish Henrikh Mkhitaryan all the best for the upcoming season in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League.”