Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is now officially a player for AS Roma in a season-long loan. The Gunners announced the news on their official website.
Arsenal left out the details of the move, but according to James Benge, Roma will cover most of his wages. The deal doesn't include an option for a permanent switch as well.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan on his way to Roma. I'm told they'll be covering the majority of his wages and of course paying a loan fee. As I understand it there's no option to buy, although of course clubs will be willing to negotiate a permanent deal if his time there is a success. — James Benge (@jamesbenge) September 2, 2019
The deal takes the bulk of the Armenian's wages off the books and opens the door to more playing time for the youngsters. This season, the Gunners are not expected to compete for the Premier League title as reports have claimed that the club is keen on developing the squad - removing Mkhitaryan in the process.
Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal in January 2018 in a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United. Sanchez is also leaving his club this summer, but that transfer has been called one of the worst in the history of football.
The Sanchez-Mkhitaryan swap deal has to be one of the worst deals made in the Premier League. Both now in Italy. — Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) September 2, 2019
It was often an argument as to who got the better end of the deal between the two clubs but now it can be said without a doubt that it was neither.
In his debut with Arsenal, Mkhitaryan scored 3 assists - a 5-1 win versus Everton. It turned out to be his best performance in his career with the Gunners. He grabbed nine goals for the club overall and nothing more.
Roma began the Serie A campaign with some draws against Lazio and Genoa, which is partly due to the lack of creativity in midfield and all-around depth. The arrival of Mkhitaryan should stir things around for the club.
Mkhitaryan came on during Arsenal's draw with Tottenham on Sunday but has not started since the opening day.
He is the third experienced player moved on by Unai Emery in the final days of the window, following Nacho Monreal and Mohamed Elneny, who have joined Real Sociedad and Besiktas respectively.
