Price tag doesn't make me automatic United choice

Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan acknowledges his hefty price tag does not guarantee him a starting place at Manchester United and is prepared to fight for a spot in manager Jose Mourinho's first team.

Mkhitaryan, who was voted Bundesliga Players' Player of the Season in the previous campaign, joined from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month for a transfer fee estimated at 30 million pounds ($39.32 million) by the British media.

"It doesn't matter if they buy me for, I don't know, 38 million or 40 million, I am not guaranteed to play the games," Mkhitaryan told British media.

"So I am trying to do my best during the training to earn this place to play and then we will see, because I don't think I will play every game, depending on the tactical situation, depending on the opponent."

Mourinho expects Mkhitaryan to adapt seamlessly to the physicality of English football due to the 27-year-old's ability to break open the tightest defence with his passing skills and astute game reading.

"I never promise something, I always say that I will try. Because if you promise something and you don't do it you will always be under pressure," the Armenia international said.

"Because for me this is a new challenge and I like difficulties, I like to win the difficulties because when you win the difficulties it makes you stronger, so I'm trying to do everything to come up to a new level."

($1 = 0.7630 pounds)