Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be useful for Arteta's Arsenal next season (Getty Images)
According to Sky Sports, Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has expressed his wish to sign Henrikh Mkhitaryan permanently before the end of this season.
Mkhitaryan, 31, came through the youth ranks of Pyunik Erewan in his hometown and joined Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010. After three years, he moved to Borussia Dortmund, where he made 140 appearances, scoring 41 goals and providing 49 assists. He established himself as one of the best playmakers in Germany before moving to Manchester United in 2016.
He could not bring the best out of him at Old Trafford and Arsenal bought him in 2018. He failed to impress there too and was eventually loaned to Roma last September.
The Armenian missed the majority of the season with a muscle injury and has featured only in 12 Serie A games so far. Meanwhile, Arsenal have been better under Mikel Arteta and look to have gained momentum since the start of the new year.
The Gunners have a plethora of young and talented midfielder in their ranks in the likes of Matteo Guendouzi, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Dani Ceballos, who are all forward-thinking players. They have taken a huge step under the new manager and look set to carry the team forward in the future.
Right-winger Nicolas Pepe has also entered the fray at the right time as he has been putting in some match-winning performances in the past few weeks. With so much quality in their ranks, keeping Mkhitaryan would not be a good idea.
The 31-year-old has been out of form and is constantly getting injured. With Mesut Ozil in attacking midfield position, it would only push Mkhitaryan to the bench and so selling him would be an ideal option.
Therefore, bringing the Armenia international back would be a waste of resources. He has done a decent job in Serie A, with 5 goals and 2 assists in 12 games and he can look to revive his career there.
The former Dortmund man would have just 12 months left in his contract at the Emirates when this season ends and Arsenal should take this opportunity to sell him and make some profit. And with Roma interested in signing him permanently, the Gunners must look to part ways with Mkhitaryan in the summer.
