Henrikh Mkhitaryan spoke publicly over his Arsenal stay – the Armenian admitted his preference over Roma stay for another few years and the Italian capital side are ‘pressing’ to make sure Mkhitaryan stays at Stadio Olimpico beyond summer and are exploring options for a deal that would see Justin Kluivert goinig the other way.
Despite his time in Rome being hampered by a string of niggling injuries, Mkhitaryan has still been able to impress Roma boss Paulo Fonseca contributing six goals and three assists in 17 appearances for the Giallorossi’s.
There are rumours encircling about a potential swap deal for sometime now and it looks like Kluivert going the other way could be the possible course of action to unlock the situation.
Gazzetta report that the potential swap deal is very much possible with two clubs already in a dialogue about the same ‘for a few days’ as they look to ‘get out of a deal happily’.
There were initial discussions about a second loan for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, which would involve the Armenian penning anew deal with Arsenal as his contract with the Gunners expire next year – which has already been turned down. Instead, AS Roma are willing to pay pay €12-14m to bring in Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a permanent deal, in a deal which will require Arsenal to buy Kluivert for €35-40m.
Its said that Arsenal are ‘ready to pay’ that sum for the Dutch star, who is not only young but boasts massive potential. The Ajax academy product, despite his young age has experience at the elite level as well, appearing 56 times for the Dutch champions and further 62 times for Roma. Though the twenty-one-year-old has struggled in Rome since his £15.5m move from Ajax in 2018.
Mino Raiola, who represents Mkhitaryan as well as Kluivert, is said to be ‘orchestrating’ the whole deal and there is a general feeling that it’d be a good one for all the parties involved.
For Arsenal, we’d get a player which it seems we like and get rid of one who has been under-par since his move form Manchester United (also freeing up that massive wage bill he comes with), while Roma will make a ‘capital gain’ of around €20m from the deal.
