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Manchester United staff 'compared Donny van de Beek to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and felt he was better suited to the Champions League' when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed him for £35m from Ajax

Donny van de Beek was reportedly compared to Henrikh Mkhitaryan in his early months at Manchester United by staff who felt he would struggle to adapt to the pace of the Premier League.

According to ESPN, figures in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's staff at United made the comparisons and felt that he'd be more accustomed to the Champions League than the Premier League when he first arrived from Ajax in a £35m transfer.

Mkhitaryan arrived at United in 2016 from Borussia Dortmund in a £30m deal but failed to recapture his best form from the Bundesliga.