Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan who is on loan at Roma has revealed that he will not complain if Mikel Arteta decides to bring him back to the Emirates.
The 31-year-old joined the Emirates club back in 2018 from Manchester United in a swap deal that involved Alexis Sanchez. After a slightly disappointing 2018/19 season, he was sent on loan to the Italian club where he has done well with 6 goals in Serie A.
When Mkhitaryan was asked about his future on the Futbol with Grant Wahl podcast he said:
“Of course I would like to be at Roma next season, not only next season [but] for another few years. But I still have a contract with Arsenal and it’s not up to me. It’s up to Arsenal and Roma if they will agree terms of the transfer fee.
“If I’m not going to stay at Roma I have to go back to Arsenal. I’m not complaining, football life changes so quickly so you have to be ready to play wherever you are.”
Back in March, Arteta had spoken about how the midfielder still had a future at the club. He said:
“Miki is doing really well in recent games. We know the player he’s been, we know his past, and we need to have all the information to make the right decision.”
As per reports in Metro, the Italian club are in talks with the North London club to extend the Armenian’s deal. Mkhitaryan is fine with whatever the outcome is but it looks like he would prefer to stay in Italy.
Arsenal will be encouraged by the fact that the midfielder has flourished in a new environment and has taken well to a new league. His major problem during his time at the Emirates was his inconsistency.
There is no doubt over his quality and if he shows that on a more regular basis, there will be no stopping him. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, there will be an impact on the kind of transfers that Arsenal can take part in. Perhaps this could mean that there will be another chance for Mkhitaryan to do well at the Emirates.
Or if he was to stay for another season at Roma, it will possibly help the Gunners make some money with a sale. Regardless, it is for the best for the player if a decision was made quickly.