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July 10, 2013

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Mkhitaryan for Dortmund, Benteke wants out of Villa

BORUSSIA Dortmund completed the signing of Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donetsk in a club-record deal yesterday.

Both clubs announced the transfer on their websites, with the Ukrainian side saying the fee for the 24-year-old Mkhitaryan is 27.5 million euros (US$35.4 million).

It would be a record for Dortmund, last season's Bundesliga and Champions League runner-up, eclipsing the 21.5 million euros paid to Italy's Parma for Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso in 2001.

"It wasn't an easy transfer but we absolutely wanted to have Henrikh," Dortmund Chief Executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said.

Mkhitaryan has signed a four-year deal and will wear the No. 10 shirt previously worn by Mario Goetze, who left for Bayern Munich.

"We are delighted that we got a fantastic new signing for the attacking midfield role," Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc said.

Mkhitaryan scored 25 goals and set up 10 more in 29 Ukrainian top-division matches last season, has played in the Champions League, and made 37 appearances for Armenia.

Dortmund has already signed defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Bundesliga rival Werder Bremen and forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from French side Saint-Etienne.

The club said in a statement for financial markets on the Mkhitaryan deal that it has "finalized its essential transfer activities" for the summer and, once it has completed the three transfers, "will have almost spent the available investment budget in the amount of 50 million euros".

Meanwhile, Aston Villa's Belgium striker Christian Benteke has asked for a transfer and will be allowed to leave if a suitable offer is made, the English Premier League club said in a statement reported by media yesterday.

Benteke's 19 league goals last season, following his move from Belgian club Racing Genk on a four-year deal for a fee of about 7 million pounds (US$10.46 million) in August, helped a struggling Villa side avoid relegation.

Benteke, who has been linked with several clubs, including Villa's Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, has not travelled on the Midlands side's preseason tour to Germany because he has been given extra time off until July 18.


 

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