Manchester United transfer rumour: Jose Mourinho plotting £35m bid for Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey

Jose Mourinho is planning an audacious move for Arsenal midfielder Aaaron Ramsey if he misses out on Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is the Portuguese manager's priority target for the advanced midfield role. The Welshman has been one of the players to watch at the ongoing European Championships in France after his key role in helping his nation reach the last-16.

The Armenian remains United's preferred choice to play in the No 10 role but the Bundesliga club are playing hardball despite the player rejecting a new deal and making it clear that he wants a move to the Premier League. Dortmund are willing to lose the midfielder on a free transfer next summer rather than see him join this summer's exodus that has already seen Ilkay Gindogan and Mats Hummels depart for Manchester City and Bayern Munich respectively.

United, however are not giving up their chase and have returned with an improved offer of around £28m ($41.3m), according to the Mirror, after their initial bid of around £19.3m was rejected by the German club. Mkhitaryan's agent Mino Raiola has confirmed that they are not willing to give up on the move as the chance to join a club of United's stature does not come often.

Mourinho, meanwhile, according to the Sun, has identified an alternative to the Armenia international and is set to reignite his ongoing feud with Arsene Wenger with a bid for the highly-rated midfielder. Ramsey had a pretty average season in comparison to previous campaigns, while also struggling to nail down a regular place in his preferred midfield role. He was deployed on the right-wing at times by the French manager - much to the annoyance of the Wales international – and he aired his displeasure.

The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss is reportedly trying to lure him with the offer of a regular midfield role similar to the role Frank Lampard played for Chelsea during Mourinho's reign at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal are likely to dismiss any bids for the midfielder, who is highly rated at the club, but the Sun reports that the Portuguese manager will test the waters with an offer around £35m.

Wenger has signed Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer leaving him with a wealth of options in midfield. Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny will be fighting for two deep-lying midfield roles behind Mesut Ozil. This has prompted Mourinho to plot a move for one of the Frenchman's key players, which is likely to ruffle a few feathers at the Emirates Stadium in the summer.