Arsenal could be forced to extend Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s contract after Roma opted against signing the Armenian on a permanent deal, according to reports in Express.
The 31-year-old joined the North London club back in 2018 in a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez join Manchester United. However, the midfielder has not been able to hit the heights that he showed at Borussia Dortmund where he was one of the best-attacking midfielders in the world.
The report states that the North London club were hoping to recover some of the money that they had spent on Mkhitaryan, but that has been dealt a blow now.
Instead, the Italian giants are now proposing another loan for the 2020/21 season after which they will buy him for a set fee. So, Arsenal will have to extend the midfielder’s contract or find a suitable buyer this summer.
His displays for Dortmund resulted in a move to Manchester United but he could not replicate the form that he had shown in Germany. Mkhitaryan was sent on loan to Italy at the start of this season and has gone on to have a good spell there so far.
In the 17 games that he had played in the Serie A, he had contributed with six goals and three assists. And speaking to the Armenian Embassy, he made it clear that he would prefer to be with Roma rather than returning to Arsenal. According to Express, he said:
“I’m happy to play in Italy. I had heard the fans here were crazy in a good way. But I didn’t think they really were. I’m very happy to play for Roma and their fans.”
The problem for the Gunners right now is that the contract of Mkhitaryan is set to expire in June 2021. And with him on a £180,000-a-week deal, they will either have to extend it or let him go on a free.
But based on Mikel Arteta’s comments very recently there is still a possibility that the midfielder might remain at the Emirates club. Having such huge contracts on the books will not help the club make big moves in the transfer market so, it is better to solve this situation as soon as possible.
